Somebody's eyes
by Lady Kathryne
Summary: Bella refuses to go to Italy with Alice after she jumps off of the cliffs. She tells her she's found happiness with Jacob. The pack accepts her then- even Paul who comes to see her as a kid sister of sorts. Edward comes back Bella tells him she doesn't want him back. How long is it going to take him to realize that Bella is happy? Warnings: OOC, language, adult themes
1. Prologue

Disclaimer:  
All characters and known situations belong to their respective owners. Everything else came from my own mind- scary place that it is sometimes. In no way shape or form have I made or intended to make a profit from this story…. All rights still belong to Stephanie… though it's a shame she never did anything more with the wolves… ah well.. There's always fan fiction  
Authors Notes:  
Takes place in New Moon starting after Bella's cliff dive of stupidity.  
Age changes for purposes of the story only- Sam is two years older than Bella (20) Paul, Jared and Leah are all a year older than Bella (19) Jacob, Quil and Embry are only a year younger than Bella herself (17). Seth, Colin and Brady are all two years younger than Bella(16).  
I'm also not a huge fan of imprinting…I'll use it as SM does every so often but not always. So… yes most of the pairings are cannon, however…this version of it has the Alpha and the wolf agreeing on the chosen mate… it makes for a slightly less demanding approach… less heartache that way-for this story anyways… and NO imprinting on children… its just… not cool

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Somebody's Eyes  
Prologue

Bella Swan was slowly going numb from shock. Not only had she finally admitted her feelings for her best friend, Jacob Black, but there in her house was one of the people she had wished with every fiber of her being to see for the better part of the past six months. Alice Cullen was not only back to see her, but she was thoroughly displeased with the reason she was there, having seen her jump off a cliff in a vision she had gained while seeking her out against her brothers wishes. She sighed in exasperation when Bella explained to her that she had jumped for the fun of it, not as an attempt to end her life- thankful for once that she had gotten better at taming her traitorous blush.

"Only you, Bella, would do something so foolish!" Alice grizzled with a short shake of her head and a roll of her eyes as they sat on the living room couch.

"It's not foolish! It was- it IS fun." Bella lied; for once she was able to do so smoothly.

Alice only sighed. Her nose wrinkled in displeasure after a few minutes of idle chatter. "Bella, since when did you get a dog?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

Bella bit her lip. "What do you mean?"

Alice stared at her for a moment. "There's an awful wet dog smell coming from your kitchen area. When did you get a dog?"

"You're no bouquet of roses either, pixie." Jacob huffed cutting Bella's rebuttal short while walking into the living room with his nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Jake?" Bella was torn between upset and thankful he was there.

She was upset because she didn't feel he trusted her, she had asked him to wait outside. On the other hand, she was thankful that he could see she was in no danger and would settle down marginally. At this point it was all she could really ask for. She had given up on the notion in thinking that the werewolves of La Push would ever deny their instincts to protect life, especially when their natural enemies were anywhere close by.

He smiled unapologetically at her. "I had to make sure you were alright." He insisted. It was his way of apologizing to her for intruding after being asked not to. He hoped she'd understand.

Bella sighed and stood from the couch, moving to hug him. "It's alright, I get it, Jake. I know." She loosely wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled up at him.

"Well I wouldn't hurt her!" Alice grumbled, not used to being ignored for any length of time. Her nose wrinkled again, the unpleasant smell that much stronger. Her eyes widened in realization. "It's you!" She cried jumping up suddenly, moving away from him while glaring.

"What's wrong Alice?" Bella wondered, watching her closely.

Alice hissed shooting a glare towards the young native. "Bella you need to move away from him now! He's not safe!" Her voice was urgent as she moved to yank Bella away from him.

Jacob growled his warning, his muscles tense and shaking. "More safe than you pixie." He stopped shaking slightly when Alice backed away.

"Bella, he's a werewolf! They're nothing but vicious and angry beasts! You need to get away from him! He'll phase and hurt you the second he loses his temper!" Alice all but screeched, fear evident in her eyes.

"I know he is. But he would also never hurt me. I'll be ok, Alice." Bella said, her eyes not leaving Jacob's. "I trust him with my life." She smiled when the tremors in his body stopped all together while their eyes stayed locked together. "He's my best friend, and truth be told, I think I kinda love him."

"No, you don't under- you know?" Alice was stunned silent.

"I know about the pack. They're my friends." Bella told her finally giving her a small smile as she once again looked at her.

"And just how many wolves do you hang around Bella? There were no wolves around when we lived here! Obviously they're trying to take over our territory! They're nothing but animals! They're not safe!" Alice insisted.

"A few." Bella shrugged, not wanting to tell her exactly how large the pack was. Jacob inwardly smirked at that. It was like she was instinctually protecting their secrets. "And they're perfectly safe!"

Alice rolled her eyes. "Bella… werewolves are NOT good company to keep!" She all but groaned.

"Speak for yourself leech!" Jacob snapped finally having had enough of her badmouthing him and his pack mates. "At least we don't lust after blood! And none of the pack have EVER broken up and left someone in the woods to freeze to death!"

Alice went rigid suddenly, her eyes glazed over slightly. She was quiet for a only few short moments as she got lost in her vision. She was staring and unfocused as everything played out like a movie clip in her mind. Her gasp after the brief silence caused Jacob's proverbial hackles to rise. "Oh no!"

"Alice? What's wrong?" Bella wondered holding tight to Jacob's hand. She needed him there to ground her. To keep her safe, even from herself right now. She relaxed slightly when she felt him gently squeeze her hand- a comforting gesture used without words to accompany it.

"It's Edward! Rosalie told him I saw you jumping off the cliffs and dying before I came here. He's going to the Volturi now to ask them to kill him! If they don't help he's going to expose us to the humans and kill himself Bella!" Alice groaned in panic.

Bella was shocked. "What? Why would he do that?"

"Because he still loves you! He thinks you're dead! He means to kill himself because he doesn't want to be without you in this life!" Alice huffed, talking to her as if she were a small child.

"He LEFT her here in the woods ALONE! What RIGHT does he have to worry anymore?!" Jacob growled quietly.

"Shh. Jake…it's ok…shh." She somehow knew he was still shaken by her near death experience after finding out Victoria had been in the water near where she had jumped off the cliff face. She also guessed he was remembering the months of catatonia after Edward first left.

"Alice, he told me I meant nothing to him. Why would he die for me? He said he never loved me. That he didn't want me anymore!" Bella huffed.

"We need to go Bella! I can explain why we left on the way to the airport, but he'll die if you don't come with me now!" Alice cried standing in a flurry of movement. "I'll have to call Jenks and tell him to secure two tickets to Volterra right this minute. There should be a private jet waiting at the airport ready to fly now-"

Alice's cold hand on her now warm arm as she tried to drag her away from Jacob and to the door shocked her. "No!" Bella yelled jumping away from the now unfamiliar touch.

Alice stopped rambling and looked at her with astonished and questioning eyes. "Bella?"

"I'm sorry I-I can't… I-I won't leave. Edward left me here… in the woods… alone. He told me I wasn't good enough for him or his family. Jake is right. I'm just now living again… it took six months to even begin to say his name again… my friends have helped me so much the past few months…so…I-I'm staying here… with Jake… and the pack." Bella said leaning into Jacob's body for support. She settled comfortably with her back against his front.

Jacob kissed her temple and wrapped his arms around her tiny waist. His chin rested easily on her shoulder as he watched the tiny vampire with a raised eyebrow. It was clearly a challenge as well as him subtly staking his claim over the brunette in his arms.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, turning black as her ire raised. "You would choose those DOGS over your family?! Bella, we love you! You may not be a vampire yet, but you belong with us!" Alice was shocked still.

Jacob's growl was quieted by Bella's lips on his skin as she leaned her head back on his shoulder and placed a gentle kiss to his jaw- a highly lupine gesture of submission- though she had no clue that she was enacting it. She moved her head back to face her once upon a time best friend and glare at the small girl.

"First of all, they're WOLVES, not dogs! Second off, JACOB was there for me- the PACK was there for me- when I needed them the most. I was nothing more than a glorified PET to you and Edward! 'Dress this way, Bella. Act that way Bella. You mustn't talk like that Bella. Don't say that Bella. Bella, think this way. BE this way.' At least with the pack I can be myself!" She hissed.

"Bella-" Alice was shocked. This was not the friend she had known, the wolves had obviously been filling her head full of lies.

"You called yourselves my family. You WOULD have been if Edward had turned me in the FIRST place! I really would have regretted it by now, but it's what I thought I wanted at the time. I had a family for the first time in forever- one that I thought loved me. Instead my boyfriend leaves me in the woods and my so called family abandons me at the drop of a hat!" She patted Jacob's arm when he flinched, took a deep breath and started again.

"You lost your chance to be my family. The pack is my family now- my REAL family. They're my friends, my brothers, my protectors, and I hope to call Jacob my boyfriend when it's all said and done." She paused to look at Jacob as she laced their fingers together. He smiled though his eyes never left Alice. "They'd not leave when it gets too tough." Bella's voice was strong and confident as it filled Jacob with pride.

"Bella, they're dangerous! They can hurt you easily! They're not stable enough to be around you without getting angry and putting scars on you!" Alice said desperately. "All it takes is just one time, just once and you'll die from the wounds they can create!"

"That was all on YOU leech! YOU were the ones who put her life in danger! Multiple times I might add! YOU were the ones who put scars on her arms! YOU were the ones who ATTACKED her!" Jacob growled, his body vibrating with rage. Alice rolled her eyes and chose to ignore him in favor of staring at the brunette in front of her.

Bella's soft hand on his arm gently rubbing his skin soothed him. "It's true. They could hurt me. It almost happened too, when I provoked Paul." She admitted with a shrug of her shoulders, thinking of how she had slapped Paul and provoked his anger before she ever knew they were werewolves. To say she had been shocked was an understatement. "But they'd not hurt me. Paul even stopped himself from attacking me. He wouldn't hurt me like that, I don't think he ever really could."

"How do you know? You just said you almost got hurt by him once. Everything I've been told about them says they are brutes and will attack with no warning!" Alice stomped her foot. "From what I see here and now, clearly I'm right."

Bella shrugged. "When it's called for, yes, they have highly volatile tempers. Paul could have torn me apart. I was the one foolish enough to smack him. That was MY fault, Alice. Not his. I provoked him! He reacted to the violence of the act- his wolf reacted to it. And for the fact that he didn't and still doesn't really trust me. He was protecting his pack. He was protecting his home. I'll admit they all have tempers, but underneath that, they are still human. Just boys with a HUGE responsibility on their shoulders. I would be a fool to turn away from them now that they've shown me their loyalty."

"But Bella-"

"Besides, they're protecting me from Victoria. That's something not even YOU thought of." Bella said with a challenging glare.

Alice gasped. "She's here?! But Edward is hunting her! He would have said something if he had seen her head towards Forks! I would have seen her decide to come back here!"

"She has the gift of evasion Alice, and she knows you can see the future, I'm sure she'd find a way to avoid making any long term decisions for a while. The pack is going to protect me now. They'll keep me safe from her till they can find a way to take her out."

Alice pouted. "You really won't come and save him then will you? Don't you care about the family at all? Didn't you love him? Don't you love him still?" she asked quietly.

Bella sighed. Jacob tensed up behind her. "I loved the IDEA of him Alice. But I gave up who I was for someone. I NEVER want to be like that again. I WILL never be like that again."

Jacob kissed her temple to hide his triumphant smile as his body relaxed. His wolf was overjoyed! Bella had finally woken up and taken stock of what was important to her. She had finally faced her past and gotten the closure she so desperately needed.

"And… you're happy?" Alice hesitantly pressed.

"And then some!" Bella assured her with a wide smile.

"Well then… I have to go save Edward from himself. Be safe Bella." Alice was very subdued and swallowed thickly. She turned to Jacob. "I'll be back when this mess with my brother is sorted out. Don't get too… comfortable." It was said quiet enough that Bella couldn't understand it but Jacob still growled his own warning though nothing else was said by him. With that, she was gone.

Bella sagged against Jacob when the door was closed and sighed. "Jake?"

"Yeah Bells?"

"Thank you." She whispered.

"For what honey?" He asked moving them to the couch. It was hard to believe all that was said while they had been standing in the doorway to the living room.

Bella hugged him tightly. "You let me do that alone. You could have left but you stayed. You could have talked over me, instead you kept calm and let me take care of it and say what I needed to say. You were there for me. Just… thank you!"

Jacob smiled. "You're welcome. I'll always be here for you Bells." He promised.

"I hope so." Bella smirked.

"Boyfriend, huh." He teased after a few minutes of quiet as he was pulling her onto his lap to be closer to her. His wolf howled inside at the admission.

Bella smiled and answered him with a chaste kiss to his lips before touching her forehead to his. A sudden thought made her giggle. That giggle cascaded into a full blown laugh when she saw Jacob's arched eyebrow of curiosity.

"What's so funny?" He wondered.

"I've never said no to Alice before. I don't think anyone ever has." She told him with a goofy smile. "She was pouting like a toddler who had been told they couldn't have any more candy!"

Jacob smirked. "She didn't seem to happy."

"No, she didn't did she? But you wanna know a secret?" She asked as her lips brushed his.

"What's that Bells?" He asked as he returned the favor.

"I'm happy." Bella whispered, her eyes closing as Jacob kissed her softly.

Jacob carefully cupped her face in one of his giant hands. "Yeah? You mean that? You're happy with me… with staying here, with not leaving?"

"I do. I am. I can just be me with you. No pretending, no caution. Just plain old, clumsy, silly me. As easy as breathing. Just Jake and Bells." She grinned.

"Jake and Bells… I think I like the sound of that." He whispered with a wide grin.

"I do too." She whispered in return wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I have to tell the pack what happened you know." He said leaning in to just barely brush his lips against hers. Her kisses were fast becoming an addiction for him- now that she was kissing him willingly at least.

Bella pouted. "Come with me to bed. Just until I fall asleep. Dad is still over at the Clearwaters' house. I don't want to be alone Jake. Please?"

Jacob smiled. "Alright. Go on, get ready for bed. I'll call Sam. Once your asleep I'll phase to show the pack what happened. After that I'll come back and lay on the couch. Sound like a plan?" He asked.

Bella gave him a wide happy smile. "Yeah. Hurry up." She laughed.

Jacob shook his head and watched her dash up the stairs, surprisingly, without tripping. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed Sam's number.

'Hello?'

"Sam… you're never going to guess what just happened."

'I don't have time for guessing games, Jacob. I'm right in the middle of-' Sam was the epitome of a mad wolf at the moment.

"There was a leech at Bella's house- a Cullen." Jacob said interrupting him with a calm voice.

'What? When? Why didn't you call?!' Jacob shook off the mental picture of Sam foaming at the mouth in anger.

Jacob laughed. "Glad I have your attention. Now listen close. We're fine. I'm going to get Bella settled down. Listen for my call. Let everyone know to be phased in, what you all see MIGHT shock you. But I swear it's all true!"

'Fine. An hour.' Sam grizzled.

"sure. Sure." Jacob smirked. He'd have plenty of time to get Bella to bed.

With the phone back in his pocket and the noise quieted down from Bella's room, Jacob was slinking up the steps. He knocked, slowly opened her door and smiled when he saw her already under her covers. He crossed the floor to her bed and smiled down at her. He watched her fold back the covers and scoot over to leave room for him as well as pat the mattress beside her. She was in a black spaghetti strap tank top that could pass as second skin it was so tight, and matching and extremely short sleep shorts. He could tell based on the lack of lines that there was nothing else underneath.

"I'm not gonna bite Jake. Stop looking like you'd rather run away from me. Unless… I mean…you can leave if you want to…" Bella sighed, her smile falling slightly.

"Nuh uh. Don't think like that Bells. I want to. I'm trying to calm my hormones. My wolf wants out." He said with closed eyes.

Bella grinned coyly. "Well let him out." She said with a raised eyebrow.

Jacob licked his suddenly very dry lips. His eyes slowly faded from brown to an almost pitch black. "Bells… please… don't tempt me."

"Come here Jake. Please." Bella whispered huskily holding her hand out to him.

Jake growled then, a low predatory sound that sent shivers down Bella's spine. He smirked and crawled deliberately slowly over her prone form. "You're playing with fire Bella." He whispered gruffly against her lips.

Bella whimpered. "So don't let me get burned." She challenged before dragging him down for a searing kiss.

Jacob groaned and silently thanked his pack for the barrage of sexual images they forever flashed each other through the pack mind. Nothing was left out from anyone. As he raised one of her thighs to his waist and ground his hips against hers, lost in a world of spiraling pleasure and hunger for the woman beneath him, he couldn't help but feel a slight bit smug that he was her final choice.

His kisses moved from her lips to her ear, to her neck where he attacked the flesh with soft nips meant to leave a mark. Bella giggled at his antics before bringing their lips back together. She groaned when he pushed his hips harder against her causing pleasure to race through her body. Her nails trailed down his back hard enough to draw pink lines in his tanned skin. She smirked when he shuddered, his muscles rippling beneath the surface of his skin at her touch. She gasped when his fingers brushed over her already erect nipples through the cotton of her tank top.

A howl pierced the fog of lust surrounding the two causing Bella to freeze. Jacob tilted his head to the side in concentration and listened intently. When a second then a third, fourth, and fifth howl were raised into the air, he cursed.

"Jake?"

"It's nothing bad… well kind of. We have a new brother to welcome."

Bella smiled. "Go."

"But…"

"You can make it up to me later. Your pack needs you right now." She kissed his chest, right over his heart. "Go."

Jacob smiled, love and adoration shining in his eyes. He would never be as grateful to his gods as he was then. Bella understood him, knew when she should be clingy and when to let him do what was needed. "Even if you're not ready to say it out loud, I DO love you Bella. I always have, and I always will." He whispered.

Bella smiled. "Love you too Jake. Always." She answered him readily causing Jacob's breath to hitch. "Now go. Just come back soon." She smiled as she lay in her bed, still awake after Jacob had left her room. As sleep finally started to claim her, she couldn't help but send a silent prayer of thanks to every god, spirit, angel and higher power that she had had the strength to face her past and welcome her future. 


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer:  
All characters and known situations belong to their respective owners. Everything else came from my own mind- scary place that it is sometimes. In no way shape or form have I made or intended to make a profit from this story…. All rights still belong to Stephanie… though it's a shame she never did anything more with the wolves… ah well.. There's always fan fiction

Author's Note: Wow, you guys, thanks for the reviews and follows and favorites. It blows my mind to see people enjoy my work lol. Alas, this chapter is a little long- I tried to cut it, but it's still longish, oh well… enjoy.

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Chapter 1

(Italics are conversations in the pack mind as well as memories)  
(Italics between ~~ is Jacobs memories of what happened from the previous chapter)

Jacob would have grinned if he were able to once his feet hit the ground outside of Bella's window. He had phased in mid air and was met with the panicked sounds of new WOLVES in his head. It was only after they had calmed him that Jacob learned that, not only was it Quil, but it was Seth and Colin and Brady and finally the shock to their pack was Leah who had phased after learning her father had died in the hospital.

The pack had spent the better part of the night calming and soothing their new pack mates fears enough to phase back. They showed them how to phase back and forth and made sure they could do it effortlessly before sending them on their way to Sam's house. Emily had been called, and she along with Sue and Billy would take care of them while an impromptu meeting with the pack's oldest members was held. They did it all without Jacob's help.

It was only after the chaos died down that Sam remembered just WHY Jacob was late coming to help them. Paul growled at the mention of Bella's name and Jared only huffed in mild agitation.

"_So you chose to stay with the little leech lover instead of being here, where you were needed! What the hell? She's NOT pack baby alpha, wake up and smell the lies._" Paul growled menacingly.

"_I wouldn't talk like that about her if you knew what I knew._" Jacob teased.

Embry turned his massive head towards his best friend. "_Alright. Spill it!_" He snapped. He was more than a little agitated with his friend at the moment.

Sam watched them intently before turning to Jacob. "_What's going on Jacob. You said earlier you had news…. That a leech was at Bella's house. You may as well show us all why you didn't call for any kind of back up. Things could have gotten ugly and you would have been on your own!"_ He growled.

"_Don't say I didn't warn you._" The smirk was evident in his voice even if he couldn't smirk as a wolf.

Paul only growled and lay under the low hanging branches of a nearby tree. Jared and Embry curled up near him; the need to touch and soothe their agitated brother was highly apparent in their lupine forms. Everyone waited for Jacob who turned once, then twice before finally plopping down on a patch of soft leaves on the forest floor- true to form for a typical wolf.~ ~

~~_"Bella, since when did you get a dog?" Her voice was high pitched and grated on Jacob's ears._

_ "What do you mean?" Bella's voice sounded from around the corner._

_ "There's an awful wet dog smell coming from your kitchen area. When did you get a dog?"_

_ "You're no bouquet of roses either, pixie." Jacob huffed walking into the living room._

_ "Jake?" Bella looked torn between upset and thankful he was there. _

_ "I had to make sure you were alright." He insisted._

_ Bella sighed and stood from the couch, moving to hug him. "It's alright, I get it, Jake. I know." She loosely wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled up at him._

_ "Well I wouldn't hurt her!" Alice grumbled obviously not used to being ignored. Her nose wrinkled again, the unpleasant smell that much stronger. Her eyes widened in realization. "It's you!" She cried jumping up suddenly_.~ ~

~ ~Jared snorted. "_It took her THAT long to figure out that it was you who smelled like a wet dog? And they say WE'RE the dumb ones. Damn leeches are dense."_

Jacob only rolled his eyes._ "You done yet?"_

_ "Oh shut up and let us see the rest, baby alpha. Damn you're annoying right now."_ Paul growled. Jacob only pictured himself smirking. He knew that aggravated Paul nearly as much as it did in their human forms.~ ~

_~ ~"What's wrong Alice?" Bella wondered, watching her closely_  
_._  
_Alice hissed shooting a glare towards the young native. "Bella you need to move away from him now! He's not safe!" _

_ Jacob growled, his muscles tense and shaking. "More safe than you pixie." His wolf bristled at the insinuation that he'd ever harm a human being intentionally._

_ "Bella, he's a werewolf! They're nothing but vicious and angry beasts! You need to get away from him! He'll phase and hurt you the second he loses his temper!" Alice all but screeched, fear evident in her eyes.~ ~_

~ ~ Sam's wolf growled at that. They didn't intentionally hurt humans. The rest of those in attendance growled their annoyance and agreed with their Alpha. They weren't the killers, the leeches were.~ ~

_ ~ ~"I know he is. But he would also never hurt me. I'll be ok, Alice." Bella said, her eyes not leaving Jacob's. "I trust him with my life." She smiled when the tremors stopped while their eyes stayed locked together. "He's my best friend, and truth be told, I think I kinda love him."_

_ "No, you don't under- you know?" Alice was stunned silent._

_ "I know about the pack. They're my friends." Bella told her, once again turning to look at her._

_ "And just how many wolves do you hang around Bella? There were no wolves around when we lived here! Obviously they're trying to take over our territory! They're nothing but animals! They're not safe!" Alice insisted._

_ "A few." Bella shrugged, not wanting to tell her exactly how large it was. It was like she was instinctually protecting them. Pride filled their minds as they watched. "And they're perfectly safe!"_

_ Alice rolled her eyes. "Bella… werewolves are NOT good company to keep!" She all but groaned._

_ "Speak for yourself leech!" Jacob snapped. "At least we don't lust after blood! And none of the pack have EVER broken up and left someone in the woods to freeze to death!"_

_ Alice went rigid suddenly, her eyes glazed over slightly. She was quiet for a only few short moments as she got lost in her vision. She was staring and unfocused as everything played out like a movie clip in her mind. Her gasp after the brief silence caused Jacob's proverbial hackles to rise. "Oh no!"_

_ "Alice? What's wrong?" Bella wondered holding tight to Jacob's hand._

_ "It's Edward! Rosalie told him I saw you jumping off the cliffs and dying before I came here. He's going to the Volturi now to ask them to kill him! If they don't help he's going to expose us to the humans and kill himself Bella!" Alice groaned in panic._

_ Bella was shocked. "What? Why would he do that?"_

_ "Because he still loves you! He thinks you're dead! He means to kill himself because he doesn't want to be without you in this life!" Alice huffed, talking to her as if she were a small child. _

_ The growl coming from Jacob was quiet but no less menacing. "He LEFT her here in the woods ALONE! What RIGHT does he have to worry anymore?!"_

_ "Shh. Jake… it's ok…shh." She must have known he was still shaken by her near death experience, or that he was thinking about how she had acted when Edward left her._

_ "Alice, he told me I meant nothing to him. Why would he die for me? He said he never loved me. That he didn't want me anymore!" Bella huffed._

_ "We need to go Bella! I can explain why we left on the way to the airport, but he'll die if you don't come with me now!" Alice cried standing in a flurry of movement. "I'll have to call Jenks and tell him to secure two tickets to Volterra right this minute. There should be a private jet waiting at the airport ready to fly now-"_

_ Alice's cold hand on her now warm arm as she tried to drag her away from Jacob and to the door must have shocked her. "No!" Bella yelled jumping away from the now unfamiliar touch..~ ~_

They were all of them amazingly floored. Paul had always been extremely loud when it came to his dislike of Bella. Sam had held his reservations, but to see this, to hear her speak so kindly about them… it was all any of them could do to keep their thoughts that maybe they had misjudged her. He heard Jared snicker when Paul's wolf whined in shame at his mistreatment of the girl. Embry only sighed and asked Jake to show them what else had happened.

_ ~ ~Alice stopped rambling and looked at her with astonished and questioning eyes. "Bella?"_

_ "I'm sorry I-I can't…I won't leave. Edward left me here… in the woods… alone. He told me I wasn't good enough for him or his family. Jake is right. I'm just now living again…it took six months to even begin to say his name again… my friends have helped me so much the past few months…so…I-I'm staying here… with Jake…and the pack." Bella said leaning into his body for support. She settled comfortably with her back against his front. _

_ Bella's temple was kissed and arms were wrapped around her waist. They could see it perfectly when Jacob rested his chin on her shoulder and looked at the vampire in front of them. If looks could kill, both he and Bella would be in the ground faster than a vampire or werewolf could honestly move. _

_Her eyes narrowed dangerously, turning black as her ire raised. "You would choose those DOGS over your family?! Bella, we love you! You may not be a vampire yet, but you belong with us!" Alice was shocked still._

_ Jacob's growl was quieted by Bella's lips on his skin as she leaned her head back on his shoulder and placed a gentle kiss to his jaw- a highly lupine gesture of submission. She moved her head back to face her once upon a time best friend. _

_ "First of all, they're WOLVES, not dogs. Second off, JACOB was there for me- the PACK was there for me- when I needed them the most. I was nothing more than a glorified PET to you and Edward! 'Dress this way, Bella. Act that way Bella. You mustn't talk like that Bella. Don't say that Bella. Bella, think this way. BE this way.' At least with the pack I can be myself!"_

_ "Bella-" Alice was shocked. _

_ "You called yourselves my family. You WOULD have been if Edward had turned me in the FIRST place! I really would have regretted it by now, but it's what I thought I wanted at the time. I had a family for the first time in forever- one that I thought loved me. Instead my boyfriend leaves me in the woods and my so called family abandons me at the drop of a hat!" She took a deep breath and started again. _

_ "You lost your chance to be my family. The pack is my family now- my REAL family. They're my friends, my brothers, my protectors, and I hope to call Jacob my boyfriend when it's all said and done." She paused to look up as she laced their fingers together. "They'd not leave when it gets too tough." _

_ Bella's voice was strong and confident. They could all of them feel the pride Jacob felt for her in that moment._

_ "Bella, they're dangerous! They can hurt you easily! They're not stable enough to be around you without getting angry and putting scars on you!" Alice said desperately. "All it takes is just one time, just once and you'll die from the wounds they can create!"_

_ "That was all on YOU leech! YOU were the ones who put her life in danger! Multiple times I might add! YOU were the ones who put scars on her arms! YOU were the ones who ATTACKED her!" Jacob growled, his body vibrating with rage. Alice rolled her eyes and chose to ignore him. _

_ Bella's soft hand on his arm gently rubbing his skin soothed him. "It's true. They could hurt me. It almost happened too, when I provoked Paul." She admitted with a with a shrug of her shoulders._~ ~

~ ~The Pack- the oldest members to be precise- remembered when Bella had first learned of their secret right after Jacob had changed and provoked Paul's anger by smacking him. Paul whined again and moved to lay down next to where Jake and Sam were sitting with his tail tucked beneath him. Jake nipped his shoulder affectionately- a gesture to tell him it was history and he was forgiven.~ ~

~ ~_"But they'd not hurt me. Paul even stopped himself from attacking me. He wouldn't hurt me like that, I don't think he ever really could."_

_ "How do you know? You just said you almost got hurt by him once. Everything I've been told us about them says they are brutes and will attack with no warning!" Alice stomped her foot. "From what I see here and now, clearly I'm right."~ ~_

~ ~Embry growled at that. "_Stupid leeches think they know everything._" He snorted. Jared and Paul agreed. Sam was amused that it was Embry to comment. He was one of the most passive wolves the pack had. Jacob only released a huff of amusement at all their thoughts.~ ~

_~ ~Bella shrugged. "When it's called for, yes, they have highly volatile tempers. Paul could have torn me apart. I was the one foolish enough to smack him. That was MY fault Alice. Not his. I provoked him! He reacted to the violence of the act- his wolf reacted to it. And for the fact that he didn't and still doesn't really trust me; he was protecting his pack. He was protecting his home. I'll admit they all have tempers, but underneath that, they are still human. Just boys with a HUGE responsibility on their shoulders. I would be a fool to turn away from them now that they've shown me their loyalty." _

_ "But Bella-"_

_ "Besides, they're protecting me from Victoria. That's something not even YOU thought of." Bella told her._

_ Alice gasped. "She's here?! But Edward is hunting her! He would have said something if he had seen her head towards Forks! I would have seen her decide to come back here!"_

_ "She has the gift of evasion Alice, and she knows you can see the future, I'm sure she'd find a way to avoid making any long term decisions for a while. The pack is going to protect me now. They'll keep me safe from her till they can find a way to take her out."_

_ Alice pouted. "You really won't come and save him then will you? Don't you care about the family at all? Didn't you love him? Don't you love him still?" she asked quietly. ~ ~_

~ ~_"Typical leech! She played the guilt card trying to make Bella go with her anyways!"_ Jared snarled.

Paul growled with his brother. _"Fucking bloodsuckers."_

_ "What has you so amused Jake?"_ Embry asked.

Jacob grinned. _"It's almost done. Do you want to see or are there going to be anymore interruptions?"_

_ "Show us."_ Sam demanded. _"No one else is to interrupt until everything has been seen!"_ His command was heavy and the wolves had no choice but to abide by his order.

_ ~ ~Bella sighed. They could all feel Jacob's tension as he waited for the answer. "I loved the IDEA of him Alice. But I gave up who I was for someone. I NEVER want to be like that again. I WILL never be like that again."_

_ Triumph raced through them from Jacob's mind. All of them could feel it, all of them could picture the smile he wore. If not for the order, they would have been whooping in victory themselves._

_ "And… you're happy?" Alice hesitantly pressed._

_ "And then some!" Bella assured her._

_ "Well then… I have to go save Edward from himself. Be safe Bella." Alice was very subdued and swallowed thickly. She turned to Jacob. "I'll be back when this mess with my brother is sorted out. Don't get too… comfortable." It was said quiet enough that Bella couldn't understand it but he had. A warning growl was given in reply. With that, she was gone._

_ Bella sagged against him when the door was closed and sighed. "Jake?"_

_ "Yeah Bells?"_

_ "Thank you." She whispered._

_ "For what honey?" He asked as they moved to the couch. It was hard to believe all that was said while they had been standing in the doorway to the living room._

_ Bella hugged him tightly. "You let me do that alone. You could have left but you stayed. You could have talked over me, instead you kept calm and let me take care of it and say what I needed to say. You were there for me. Just… thank you!"_

_ Jacob smiled. "You're welcome. I'll always be here for you Bells." He promised. _

_ "I hope so." Bella smirked._

_ "Boyfriend huh." She was pulled onto his lap, the tone of his voice light and teasing._

_ Bella smiled and answered him with a chaste kiss to his lips before touching her forehead to his. A sudden thought she had made her giggle. That giggle cascaded into a full blown laugh after a few moments._

_ "What's so funny?"_

_ "I've never said no to Alice before. I don't think anyone ever has." She told him with a goofy smile. "She was pouting like a toddler who had been told they couldn't have any more candy!"_

_ "She didn't seem to happy."_

_ "No, she didn't did she? But you wanna know a secret?" She asked as her lips brushed his._

_ "What's that Bells?" He asked as he returned the favor._

_ "I'm happy." Bella whispered, her eyes closing as Jacob kissed her softly._

_ Jacob carefully cupped her face in one of his giant hands. "Yeah? You mean that? You're happy with me… with staying here, with not leaving?"_

_ "I do. I am. I can just be me with you. No pretending, no caution. Just plain old, clumsy, silly me. As easy as breathing. Just Jake and Bells." She grinned._

_ "Jake and Bells… I think I like the sound of that." He whispered with a wide grin._

_ "I do too." She whispered in return wrapping her arms around his neck._

_ "I have to tell the pack what happened you know." He said leaning in to just barely brush his lips against hers. _

_ Bella pouted. "Come with me to bed. Just until I fall asleep. Dad is still over at the Clearwaters' house. I don't want to be alone Jake. Please?"_

_ Jacob smiled. "Alright. Go on, get ready for bed. I'll call Sam. Once your asleep I'll phase to show the pack what happened. After that I'll come back and lay on the couch. Sound like a plan?" He asked._

_ Bella gave him a wide happy smile. "Yeah. Hurry up." She laughed._

The wolves sighed, having already seen the conversation in Sam's head. They all wanted to know what happened after that to make Jacob so happy. Jacob only chuckled and thought to what happened after the phone call.~ ~

_ ~ ~With the phone back in his pocket and the noise quieted down from Bella's room, Jacob was slinking up the steps. He slowly opened her door and smiled when he saw her already under her covers. He crossed the floor to her bed and smiled down at her. He watched her fold back the covers and scoot over to leave room for him as well as pat the mattress beside her. She was in a black spaghetti strap tank top that could pass as second skin it was so tight, and matching and extremely short sleep shorts. He could tell based on the lack of lines that there was nothing else underneath. _

_ "I'm not gonna bite Jake. Stop looking like you'd rather run away from me. Unless… I mean…you can leave if you want to…" Bella sighed._

_ "Nuh uh. Don't think like that Bells. I'd love to. I'm trying to calm my hormones. My wolf wants out." He said with closed eyes._

_ Bella grinned coyly. "Well let him out." She said with a raised eyebrow._

_ Jacob licked his suddenly very dry lips. "Bells… please… don't tempt me."_

_ "Come here Jake. Please." Bella whispered huskily holding her hand out to him._

_ Jake growled then, a low predatory sound that sent shivers down Bella's spine. He crawled deliberately slowly over her prone form. "You're playing with fire Bella." He whispered gruffly against her lips._

_ Bella whimpered. "So don't let me get burned." She challenged before dragging him down for a searing kiss._

_ As he raised one of her thighs to his waist and ground his hips against hers, lost in a world of spiraling pleasure and hunger for the woman beneath him, he couldn't help but feel a slight bit smug that he was her final choice._

_ His kisses moved from her lips to her ear, to her neck where he attacked the flesh with soft nips meant to leave a mark. Bella giggled at his antics before bringing their lips back together. She groaned when he pushed his hips harder against her causing pleasure to race through her body. Her nails trailed down his back hard enough to draw pink lines in his tanned skin. She smirked when he shuddered, his muscles rippling beneath the surface of his skin at her touch. She gasped when his fingers brushed over her already erect nipples through the cotton of her tank top._

_ A howl pierced the fog of lust surrounding the two causing Bella to freeze. When a second then a third, fourth, and fifth howl were raised into the air, he cursed._

_ "Jake?"_

_ "It's nothing bad… well kind of. We have a new brother to welcome."_

_ Bella smiled. "Go."_

_ "But…"_

_ "You can make it up to me later. Your pack needs you right now." She kissed his chest, right over his heart. "Go."_

_ Jacob would never be as grateful to the spirits as he was then. Bella understood him, knew when she should be clingy and when to let him do what was needed. "Even if you're not ready to say it out loud, I DO love you Bella. I always have, and I always will." He whispered._

_ Bella smiled. "Love you too Jake. Always." She answered him readily causing Jacob's breath to hitch. "Now go. Just come back soon."_ ~ ~

~ ~ They were all stunned silent. Not only had they all seen Bella send away one of her precious Cullen's, but she had admitted to Jacob that she did indeed love him. It would have been something to celebrate if not for the dark cloud looming over the young wolf's head.

_ "Jake… I hate to rain on your well earned parade… but bro… what happens when you imprint?"_ Jared asked shyly.

Jacob sighed.

_"Jake?"_ Embry prodded gently. _"Did you… what's wrong? You look really upset right now dude. Even as a wolf."_

Jacob sighed again and looked at them all. _"I started going through the old pack journals. When I didn't imprint on her, I was…little more than angry. I was so afraid that she would never be mine… but guys… it… I…"_

_ "What is it Jake?"_ Sam worried.

_ "I'm meant to be the true alpha. It was something going all the way back to Taha Aki… he had three wives… he didn't imprint on all three… he CHOSE them."_ He said.

Sam was confused. _"What are you trying to say Jake?"_

_ "My dad and Old Quil helped me read the journals, Harry too before he passed away. In every one of them the alpha has never imprinted."_ He hedged.

_ "But Sam's the alpha… he imprinted on Emily."_ Jared said slowly trying to understand what was being said.

_ "Yeah, but Jake is the rightful Alpha."_ Embry reminded him.

_ "So… you'll never imprint?"_ Paul asked.

_ "No… so long as my wolf agrees, I can choose who my mate will be."_ Jake told them as he stared at the grass in front of him. _"Nothing will happen unless I mark her, she can still walk away. But… I'll never imprint."_ He said quietly. It was almost as if he was scared of the chaos this would cause.

Sam sighed. _"It makes sense in a way. Does… is your wolf happy with Bella?"_

Jacob huffed in amusement. _"Yeah… um… if the howls hadn't have gone up… Bella wouldn't be so sweet and innocent right now."_ He admitted somewhat sheepishly._ "You all saw what almost happened… that wasn't just my overactive mind thinking about that shit."_

Jared shook his head. _"There's so much more to her than we all know."_ He mused.

_ "She just wants you all to accept her. She's a really good person deep down. And she likes all of you. Even Paul… as you guys have all seen."_ Embry grinned, his tongue lolling out to the side. Jacob nodded his gigantic wolf head in agreement.

The pack was shocked silent. It was a first for them. Paul was especially stunned. She had…defended him…after everything he had done and said to her, she had told the leech he wasn't as dangerous as he actually was. She told the leech that she was the one to provoke the wolf in him, and he had stopped himself from lunging after her. It wasn't true, if not for Jacob, he would have at least knocked her flat on her smug little rear end- nothing to cause her bodily harm, just something to scare her a little. But she had defended him against that. He just didn't understand it. At all.

_ "I told you Paul, so did Em and Quil. She's a good person."_ Jacob quipped breaking up his already scrambled thoughts.

_ "I can't believe she chose to stay. She's wanted him back for so long… We all knew it… I never expected her to stay here…willingly."_ Jared was quiet after that.

_ "I think it's clear we ALL owe her an apology. We'll wait till morning and then go and see her. Maybe she would welcome some company for a while since her dad will be working most of the day."_ Sam told them. For once, even Paul readily agreed. It was after that that their impromptu meeting was called to a close. They all phased back and started for home, laughing and joking as they went not noticing they were one wolf short.

Jared noticed Paul missing the closer they got to home. They had been next door neighbors since they were born, and because of that, best friends. He sighed and headed back to the small clearing they had just left. He found Paul sitting in the soft grass, cut offs damp from the dew, lost in thought. He patted him on the shoulder and sat next to him, waiting until Paul at least glanced at him before talking.

"You alright man?" He was slightly shocked when Paul only shrugged.

"Maybe. I just… I don't get it. Why would she do that?" It was hard for Paul to accept still. He was used to everyone but his pack brothers being afraid of him. He was used to them turning their backs on him, and letting him down. But the little slip of a girl that their future alpha was in love with had defended him.

"It's something to ask her. I think she's come to accept it honestly. Like she told the leech… we're still just kids…mostly. And she seems to get that." Jared shrugged.

"I guess. You DO know she's the same age as us, right?" Paul smirked.

"Yeah, but SO much more mature… as in she's middle aged in the way she thinks… according to Billy and the other elders at least." Jared shook his head with a sigh.

Paul rolled his eyes. "Makes for some dull conversation."

"Maybe. Not according to Quil, Embry and Jake. They all think she's a spitfire. She must be something, I mean… she smacked you clear across the face." Jared snickered.

"Yeah, well… we'll see. Night bro." Paul stood and waved him off before heading to his own home. It was going to be a long night. 


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer:  
All characters and known situations belong to their respective owners. Everything else came from my own mind- scary place that it is sometimes. In no way shape or form have I made or intended to make a profit from this story…. All rights still belong to Stephanie… though it's a shame she never did anything more with the wolves… ah well.. There's always fan fiction

Author's Note: Thank you guys so much for the awesome reviews and thanks to everyone who has started following and or favorited the story J I really appreciate it :D

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Chapter 2

The morning was peaceful and the street on which Bella lived was quiet as usual. Sam's eyes darted from side to side as he drove slowly towards the Swan residence. The stench of leech was heady and it put the wolves in the cab of his truck on edge. They had come to do what they had agreed upon the night before; each of them- including a still flabbergasted Paul- was going to apologize to her for their actions.

He sighed as he pulled the truck into the driveway right behind Bella's. He noticed her father's police cruiser was missing and guessed Charlie had already gone off to work. He killed the engine and opened his door, his nose wrinkling in distaste as the already heady stench threatened to overpower his already acute sense of smell. The wolf in him was clawing at the surface begging to make sure things were alright. Sam was shocked that he already saw Bella as a member of his pack and wondered if the other wolves thought the same.

"It stinks! Stupid leeches. Man, I think I'm gonna be sick." Embry moaned.

"Not in my truck you're not!" Sam almost hissed. "You hold it until we're out of the cab Embry or so help me, you'll be doing midnight patrols for the next month!" He growled in warning.

Paul almost whined. "Wow, having super senses never sucked so much before."

Jared rolled his eyes and shared a look with Sam. "Come on you two, its not so bad if you breathe through your mouth… ok never mind… its bad. Jake, man, how'd you stand to be in the same room with that thing last night?!"

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Trust me, the adrenaline was pumping too much for me to be concerned with the smell. Though, afterwards… yeah, she stunk to high heaven." He said with a shudder.

Sam smiled. "I'm actually really proud of you for that. Come on, lets go see if she wants company."

"She better be up." Paul muttered. "That's all I have to say."

"She's up. Just remember, find an opening and mention the imprinting garbage. She'll never relax otherwise… I know her… she's…. Bella is special… you'll see." Jacob said as they walked up the front steps of Bella's home. His friends rolled their eyes at him. He'd spent the entire night worrying about how she would react to what he had to tell her- sure she'd tell him to finally leave her alone for good.

"We got it baby alpha. Just… don't fret about it." Paul huffed with just a little exasperation. He chuckled under his breath at Jacob's frown and knocked.

The knock on her front door drew Bella's attention from the book she had been engrossed in. "Just a minute!" She called placing it down on the coffee table. She hissed when she tripped over the rug and stubbed her toe on an end table. She rushed to the door and whimpered when her foot caught the corner of the doorway as she tried to not trip over her dad's rain boots in turn causing her to let loose a string of quiet and very choice expletives.

Jacob shook his head on the other side of the door, trying in vain to muffle his snickers. He noticed too that the pack were all doing the same thing. Save for Embry and Quil, none of the other wolves had ever heard Bella utter a single curse word in person like this before.

"Ten bucks says she turns into a tomato when she sees us." Jared smirked.

Jacob shook his head. "Deer in the headlights." He muttered.

Embry rolled his eyes. "Nah, she's totally gonna mimic a fish out of water."

The door opened and indeed Bella was shocked, though she only stared- her eyes drifting over each boy in front of her. "Um… hi." She said cautiously. Something had to have happened, the pack was on her doorstep all together- even Paul.

"Hi Bella. Can uh…. can we talk to you for a minute… inside preferably please?" Sam finally asked taking pity on her. He laughed quietly when Jared and Embry groaned and Jacob only smirked- he had just made an easy 20 bucks- she had been staring at them and she did in fact resemble a deer in the headlights, too afraid to move.

Bella raised an eyebrow but stepped aside to allow them entrance. Jacob was the last to walk by her, but before she could turn away, he backed her into the wall and closed his lips over hers as the door closed. The tension melted from her shoulders immediately as her arms encircled his neck. Snickers, wolf whistles and cat calls broke them apart after a minute and all Bella did was roll her eyes.

"Hi beautiful." Jacob whispered.

"Hey. Is everything ok?" She wondered.

"Yeah… well… kind of. Just… let them talk ok?" Jacob watched the confusion dance over her face.

"Sure… um… let me get some food and some drinks first, ok?" She was nothing if not polite and thoughtful. "Guys, go ahead and make yourselves at home. I'll be back in a few minutes." She told them with a smile.

"I'll help you. Come on." Jacob grinned at the shocked looks on his packs faces.

Bella found them all sitting ram rod straight in her living room ten minutes later and had to stifle a giggle. She was the weakest link in the house right now seeing as she was completely human, and these boys- these larger than life, supernaturally strong, shape shifting wolves- were walking on egg shells around her- the barely 90 pound soaking wet looking human. She only shook her head and placed a tray of small sandwiches and drinks out on the coffee table.

Jacob grinned at her confused and slightly hurt look. "You have to eat first. It's the one rule the pack has when it comes to food. Women and all non shifters get first dibs, otherwise nothing is left for them to eat." He explained with a gentle smile.

"Oh. Um… sure. Sure." Bella grabbed one of the sandwiches and a soda and before she could even sit next to Jacob, the boys were grabbing at the food.

Sam's eyes closed briefly in pleasure. It was meat. He loved his Emily, but she had had a thing for rabbit food after talking to her Aunt Sue and then what had happened to Harry just cemented her belief that vegetarians lived longer. She seemed to think that they all needed to eat healthier, and that meant no meat. He noticed the other boys in much the same state of bliss and couldn't help but to appreciate Bella all that much more; she'd be a fine alpha female for them one of these days.

Jacob grinned once they were all finished eating. "So…" He snickered at his friends and waited for one of them to start saying something.

"Jake… you're starting to scare me here… what's up? You guys act like there's a vampire in the room or something. I know I'm pale but damn, I'm not dead." She teased.

Jacob only snickered. "No babe, you're not dead… thankfully." He grinned and kissed her temple.

Bella noticed the boys looking anywhere but at her. She rested her head on Jacob's shoulder running her fingers up and down his arm which was wrapped gently around her waist, and waited patiently for someone to speak.

Paul huffed and kicked Embry's foot. He knew her better than the rest- save for Jacob at least. Embry snorted and rolled his eyes. 'sure, leave it to me.' He seemed to say. "Look, Bella. The guys… well all of us except Jake owe you a serious apology."

Her head shot off of Jacob's shoulder so she could turn to see Embry more clearly. "What? For what? No you don't." Bella was stunned at his confession. She couldn't fathom where this was coming from and she watched the boys carefully.

Jacob's shoulders shook as he tried and failed to hold in his laughter. "Oh no, they do…they really do." He muttered.

"Well don't laugh at them! Geez Jake!" Bella swatted the back of his head lightly. "You're lucky you already ate or I'd keep the food away from you! Something is bothering your friends! Respect them by not laughing." She shook her head in amusement as he pretended to be hurt even as his eyes danced with mirth.

Paul blinked. "And you're STILL doing it!" He cried. "Why are you doing that?!" He wondered in exasperation.

"Doing… what…exactly?" She asked slowly, trying to think of what she had done wrong.

Sam rolled his eyes. He looked at Jared, who had always been good at talking to people, and sighed. He nodded his head in her direction begging his friend to tell her what they all wanted her to know but didn't know how to say.

Jared smirked and rolled his eyes at his almighty alpha. "Bella, what he…what they…what WE, I mean… what we mean is, Jacob showed us what happened last night…"

"Which is why we all owe you an apology." Embry told her crossing his arms over his chest in a huff.

"You said that already, but I don't understand why. You didn't do anything to warrant an apology Embry. None of you did!" Bella said, still highly confused.

Embry groaned. "Jake, dude, help us out please!" He all but whined.

Jacob kissed her temple, his arm resting comfortingly around her waist. "They thought you'd go with her." He whispered in her ear.

Bella's mouth opened and closed a couple times before her shoulders sagged slightly; they still didn't trust her, much less accept her. "I guess I can understand that. I haven't really given you guys too much to trust so far have I?" She said with a sad smile.

Sam blinked. "You- you're not mad at us for our assumptions?" He asked incredulously.

Bella smiled and shook her head gently a few times. "No… why would I be mad at you? I mean… I haven't really give you any reason to think otherwise." She told him honestly.

"You're something else, Swan." Paul said.

Bella was floored. "You…didn't call me leech lover…" She said quietly.

"Guess I kind of can't anymore huh… you kind of defended us all. It kind of makes you a wolf girl…a pack mate…family." Paul muttered to the floor. There was still so much to apologize for, he didn't even know where to start.

Her next move both stunned the pack and made Jacob's heart swell with pride. Bella stood and moved to hug Paul, kissing his cheek even. "I already forgave you a long time ago Paul. I knew why you did everything you did." She told him. She did the same thing to each of the other boys before sitting back down next to Jacob.

"Wow. Just…wow." Jared said. "You're truly an amazing woman Bella."

Embry grinned. "Thanks Bells." All the guilt he felt about thinking the worst about her was wiped clean; it was just like old times when they would sit in Jacob's garage.

Bella grinned in return. "I meant everything I said by the way. In case any of you were wondering."

Sam sighed even though the pack knew this part was all for Bella's benefit. This was the opening he needed. "Just… please be careful." He told them cryptically. Bella frowned in confusion at him. Her look just screamed for him to tell her exactly what it was they needed to be careful of.

"We don't have to be Sam." Jacob sighed praying they could pass this off with some wonderful acting. So far it seemed to be working.

"But… imprinting…" Even Paul looked at the two. He knew Jacob had made the right move in asking them to do this when he saw Bella tense on his lap and pay closer attention. He guessed Jacob had told her about Sam and Jared imprinting already as well as the clusterfuck that was the Sam/Emily/Leah imprinting triangle.

"It won't be an issue. My dad and Old Quil came to me after they learned everything last night." He paused and sighed. "Apparently the true alpha of the pack can pick as many mates as he desires." He muttered.

"So you could have your own harem? Go Jake!" Embry teased. He snickered when Jacob glared at him- a look that said it was clearly overkill- and only shrugged as he watched Bella relax and let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Damn, why do you get all the perks?" Paul chuckled good naturedly.

"It… it seems right." Sam finally said. He had said much the same thing last night when they were first told.

"Sam, I'm sorry." Jacob told him quietly. He really meant that.

"I love my Emily. I just wish it wouldn't have cost me Leah's heart." Sam shrugged.

Bella sat facing them all in that moment. She tilted her head to the side in thought before looking at them all with a raised eyebrow. "Can I talk to her?" She looked around the room, at the wolves sitting on her furniture and raised an eyebrow. Jacob had gone back to her after the meeting to tell her it hadn't been one but five to phase and Leah had been one of them. That's when she also learned about imprinting.

"Say what?!" Five voices shouted at once causing her to wince slightly at the sudden noise.

"I understand what she's going through to some degree. I know what it's like to lose your first love abruptly and with no warning." Bella told them.

"No. Not going to happen!" Sam told her firmly but gently. "She's a new wolf and she has a temper to rival Paul's! I'm sorry Bella, but no." Sam grizzled.

"And so was Jake when he came to see me." Bella challenged. "How is it any different?" She asked gently.

Sam deflated momentarily. She hadn't backed down from him. She was a mere human and she wasn't scared of him, he reiterated his earlier thought that she would make an amazing alpha female one day. "Jacob loves you Bella. He would never intentionally hurt you and his wolf is backing him on that as well. Leah isn't… affectionate… with anyone." He told her softly after some minutes.

"Leah needs someone who understands her. I took the brunt of Paul's abuse… come on Sam. I'm tougher than I look. You know that. You ALL know that!" Bella quipped.

Paul shook his head. She had wormed her way into his heart, he would be damned if he'd see her hurt now. "It's not that. Look Swan, its not that we don't think you couldn't handle it… lord knows after telling a leech off, you can. Sam is actually right about this one… she's a new wolf and doesn't hold the same… loyalty to you that Jacob did- does. I have a temper, yes, but I wasn't a brand new wolf when you smacked me." He said softly.

"She's violent and unpredictable right now, that's all. We're worried about her getting emotional. Accidents can happen, regardless of what you told the leech last night or not, we just don't want to see you hurt." Jared agreed.

"And she's really hurt. She just lost her dad AND she has to hear Sam in her head, not to mention see Sam and Emily together… it'd be like sending you to the gallows… it's too much for us to take… you're… Bella, like it or not you're pack now… we'll all protect you to the last… we can't knowingly put you in harms way." Embry told her, begging her to understand.

"Jake?" Bella turned to him.

He closed his eyes and sighed, warring with the wolf in him to keep her safe. "What if she talked to Leah while we were still there?" He finally proposed. He knew just how stubborn the girl in his arms was. If he could find a reasonable solution to ALL of their concerns, it was for the best. "At least that way she won't go behind our backs. You all know she doesn't do well with the words no and don't and you KNOW she'd find a way to talk to Leah on her own besides." He teased.

Sam couldn't find anything to say to that. Bella grinned. "Just… not with you all in the same room." Bella asked biting her bottom lip.

"NO!" Sam growled softly at that. "I won't have you put in a position to get hurt!" He said dangerously. His wolf saw this as a threat to a pack female and he wasn't about to let anything happen to her willingly. "I can't let that happen." He said more quietly, trying to make her understand what he was feeling.

"Sam… she wont get hurt. Bella knows what she's doing. Besides, she learned not to provoke us." Jacob glanced towards Paul who looked at the floor in shame.

Bella saw that, smacked Jacob's shoulder for his cheap shot and was next to Paul's side in an instant with her hand over his. "Hey… Paul… that wasn't your fault. I did that. That was me. I'm the one who slapped you. Remember?"

"Yeah… but… I could have hurt you bad. If Jacob hadn't tackled me…" Even Paul's wolf was shamed. He had been angry that the tiny female in front of them had dared try and hurt them, that she had challenged a mighty Spirit Warrior because she wasn't an imprint and she wasn't a fellow wolf. He knew better now- they both did. She was just protecting her friend, the way a mother wolf would a pup- his wolf admitted the act was brave, if not somewhat foolish. They both agreed it would never happen again. She was a part of his pack now and he'd die trying to protect her- even from her hair brained self.

"But you DIDN'T. You stopped. Don't beat yourself up for something that never happened." Her voice interrupted his inner musings. Bella kissed his cheek and moved to sit by Jacob again.

Jared shook his head. "Just… wow." He, Embry and Sam were all floored. He had just watched his best friend willingly let a woman into his heart, watched as Paul's wolf openly accepted that she was here to stay as well. He only hoped Bella understood what that meant.

"So… can I?" She asked Sam again.

Sam rolled his eyes and sighed. "I'm getting to old for this shit…" He muttered rubbing at his temple. "Fine. I don't like it, but alright. I trust your judgment with this. But you'll be where we can get to you easily if something goes wrong… as in… my living room while we're all in the kitchen. And I want you to wait for a week. Let us teach her to keep her calm- as best she can- so it minimizes the urge to phase at the drop of a hat."

Bella grinned. She hugged Sam tightly and thanked him before sitting down next to Jacob again. They all chuckled at her. She did seem more free without the bloodsucker to drain her life away. They all relaxed and traded playful insults together before Bella put in a movie- Underworld, ironically.

"Do you think she saved him in time?" Embry asked when the movie was paused so Jared could go to the bathroom. He didn't want to miss out on making fun of the vampires.

Bella shrugged. "Even if she did, I don't care. I don't want him back- especially knowing that he and his family are the cause of your phasing- all so they can be selfish and play the perfect little family. No, I'm completely happy with my choice." She said leaning her head on Jacob's shoulder.

Embry grinned. "Cool."

"Besides, it's kind of like having a pack of overgrown dogs all to myself- well, add in Emily and Kim too. They have a tighter hold on your leashes than I do." Bella teased. Sam frowned at that.

Embry pouted. "Not cool."

"SO not cool!" Jared whined, having just sat back down.

"You're alright Swan." Paul nodded.

Jacob merely smirked until he understood just what it was she had said. "Hey!" He pouted.

Bella only giggled. "Way delayed reaction there Jake." She teased before unpausing the movie. She laughed along with the wolves as they made fun of the vampires and grudgingly admitted that Selene was hot in her outfits- for a vampire at least.

"Come on guys. We've got to go talk to Billy. I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of Bella from now on." Sam grinned when the movie was over.

It wasn't until later that night they learned from Jacob that Bella had called him directly after she had received a call from none other than Carlisle Cullen himself to tell her that Edward was alive and well. When she explained that she was indeed now dating Jacob, he asked her to inform the pack that they were coming back to hunt for Victoria, whom Alice had told them was in the area. She tried to tell him that it wasn't necessary, however, he wouldn't hear it. He claimed she was in danger no thanks to his family so he would help remove the threat to her life. Needless to say they were none too pleased, and all of them were praying their stay would be short. 


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer:  
All characters and known situations belong to their respective owners. Everything else came from my own mind- scary place that it is sometimes. In no way shape or form have I made or intended to make a profit from this story…. All rights still belong to Stephanie… though it's a shame she never did anything more with the wolves… ah well.. There's always fan fiction  
Author's Note:  
So, in all of my blonde glory, I forgot to mention at the start of this, that this story came to me while I was watching Footloose- the only version I will watch with Kevin Bacon in it- and listening to the song Somebody's Eyes by Karla Bonoff… granted it's a woman singing, but I could easily see Jacob agreeing with the words and lyrics . lol. Anyways, thanks for the reviews. Enjoy :D

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Chapter 3  
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(And before I forget, they are going to be OOC, don't like it... meh... there's a back button.)

Jacob sighed. A week had passed all too soon for his liking. The pack had been celebrating again; the newest members were allowed to be around normal people again after learning to control their anger- mostly since Leah still had a few slip ups. He looked at the formidable doors of Forks High School and groaned. Beside him, Embry, Quil, Seth, Colin and Brady were all in much the same state. They had been sent to the school under the guise that the tribal school had been burned partially down due to faulty electrical work in the office.

Most of the other students had family in the surrounding tribes so they were able to attend those schools. When it came to the six boys making their way to the front office, the school was told these boys were the sons of important members of the tribe and the principle was asked if it were possible that they attend the school so they could stay close to the reservation- he readily agreed.

"Anyone else not want to do this?" Seth wondered.

"Me." Came the response from five mouths.

"They're looking us like we're meat on a hook." Colin grumbled as he watched the female population stop and stare. "I can't wait to see the look on Bella's face. I know Jake said he was coming to school, not all of us too." He had finally met her the of Friday at the bonfire where he spent almost the whole night trying to pull pranks of her. He along with Brady and Seth- who knew her because of their fathers' friendship- had fast adopted her as an older sister.

"Yeah, well… so long as we don't run into any of Paul's conquests. He said a few of them go to this school and one in particular- while good- is really easy and gives it up to just about anyone. He said he overheard her saying how she wanted to sleep with the tick." Quil shuddered.

Jacob rolled his eyes. Quil was fast becoming Paul's shadow. He put it from his mind as he started searching out his girlfriend. "Does anyone even SEE Bella?" he asked.

"No… but I hear her. Look." Embry growled as he pointed in Bella's direction.

There to the side of the parking lot was Bella by her truck. In front of her stood none other than her ex, Edward Cullen. He was begging her to 'think and be sensible.' All Jacob could see was his mates' stress level rising; it was something he didn't like in the slightest bit. He let out a growl just loud enough for Edward and his sibling- the pixie, Alice- to hear before stalking over to them.

"Jake." Bella breathed a sigh of relief. She tried to walk to him, only to be stopped by a hand on her arm. "Edward, let. me. go." She huffed.

"He's dangerous love." Edward insisted tightening his grip marginally. "He's young and unpredictable."

"He won't hurt me!" She hissed struggling to be free. "Now let me go or so help me, I'll scream that you're trying to rape me." She almost growled, trying to cover the whimper of pain she wanted to let loose.

"You had best let her go leech." Embry growled when they were close enough. "You're hurting her, and that wouldn't be a good thing to do." His arms were shaking as he watched the vampire in question causing his future alpha female discomfort.

"Wouldn't want to break the treaty now would you." Jacob said smugly with a raised eyebrow in challenge.

Edward let her go and growled in frustration when she ran into Jacob's arms. "This isn't over. You can go back to your reservation now." He huffed.

"No, I think we'll stay. See… we'll be going to school here now too." Quill growled when he noticed the mark on Bella's arm from where Edward had been holding on a little too tightly.

"Gives us more…opportunity to play nice with our neighbors." Seth grinned maliciously. Bella almost shuddered- the look was just so unlike Seth- before she remembered that while he was young, he'd never hurt her intentionally. None of them would.

Alice groaned in frustration. "Leave it to you mutts to butt your noses in where you don't belong!" She griped with a stop of her foot.

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Like we'd leave her unprotected. We'll be in school as long as you are tick. And believe me, you won't like me if I have to tell you again to keep your hands to yourself. I don't share easily."

Bella was pleasantly shocked and shyly pleased by Jacob's possessiveness. She knew it was his wolf wanting to make sure she was safe and she had to grin as she looked up at him. "You mean that guys? You're going to school here now too?"

"Well yeah. Billy thought you could do with some amusement. So here we are, ready to amuse." Embry snickered holding his arms out.

Bella wrapped her arms around each of them only after kissing Jacob's cheek and making sure he was ok. "I'm happy. It'll be nice to have some REAL friends here." She noticed Alice frowning, her face sad while her eyes were seething with hatred as she looked at Jacob.

Brady and Colin snickered. "Aww. She likes us you guys. She really likes us!" They said playfully at the same time.

"Oh shut up you two!" She playfully smacked the back of their heads. Seth only shook his head. They were pleased that she wasn't going to act shy around them anymore. "I swear you two can pass as twins." She teased.

"Bella… please. You can't really be friends with these… people." Edward tried again causing the six boys to growl suddenly.

"And what's wrong with 'these people' Edward? Last I checked their hearts were still beating and they still cared about me which is more than I can say for you." She grizzled.

"Burn!" Quil cried giving her a high five.

Jacob smirked. "That's my girl." He cooed in her ear. He smirked over her shoulder when she seemed to stand just that much taller next to him. If the rest of the pack noticed, they chose not to comment on it. Even if Jacob wasn't the alpha yet, Bella was his chosen mate. They loved and protected her as one of their own and they loved that she defended them.

"Bella, we still care about you! It's why we're here. Please come away from those mutts." Alice tried, taking that time to walk over to them.

"Where are Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie?" Bella wondered, her tone cold and her eyebrow arched in challenge. Rosalie would have been proud she bet.

"They didn't come back to school with us. They along with Carlisle and Esme told us to not interfere in your life anymore." Edward told her quietly. "They don't understand that I love you and I won't give you up! I know you love me too! That MUTT is clouding your judgment. He's brainwashing you into believing he loves you. He'll use you until he's had his fun and then he'll move on to the next woman. It's the way his kind do."

Bella growled and lunged for him only to be held back by Jacob and Embry. "How DARE you presume- no Edward. I DON'T love you. And they're WOLVES not mutts." She hissed the last part quietly. "I swear if I had a lighter and a can of hair spray right now, you would be a pile of ashes- the both of you. They're not clouding my judgment, YOU did that every time you dazzled me! Just stay away from me. I don't WANT you anymore. YOU left ME, remember?" She said the last part loud enough for a few other people to hear. "This is me, moving on. Feel free to do the same. And as far as using me for his fun… it sounds an awful lot like what YOU did you sparkle dick psychopath! Jacob is a great many things- my boyfriend among them- he's not like YOU." She stalked off with a snickering pack of wolves walking behind her.

For the rest of the day, news traveled around the school that Edward Cullen and his sister Alice were back and he and Bella were still firmly broken up. It didn't help that her new boy toy, Jacob Black was in school with her, or that there seemed to be a strong rivalry between the two when it came to Bella.

Bella sighed and thanked the higher powers above when the final bell was rung. Jacob, Embry and Quil it turned out had faired well enough, only having to deal with Edward and Alice twice in the hallways. Her frown deepened into an almost feral scowl when she spotted the boys leaning against her truck in the parking lot. Jacob in particular was receiving some very heated looks from the female population; Bella didn't like that one little bit. She ran to them, jumping into Jacob's strong arms before placing a searing kiss on his lips. Embry, Quil, Seth, Colin and Brady all chuckled.

"Someone is jealous." Brady snickered.

Embry and Quil wolf whistled. "Ah the wonders of sexual tension." Quil muttered.

"It looks like Bella is staking a claim on him." Seth mused. He was fascinated that his future alpha was allowing it to happen.

Bella grinned against Jacob's lips finally pulling away just so. "Uh huh." She whispered when they pulled apart for air.

"I don't mind a bit." He all but purred when his hands started to slide up and down her back moving closer to her skin tight jean clad ass.

Bella giggled and nipped his lower lip gently. "I didn't think you'd mind too much." Jacob merely grinned and dragged their lips back together, one of his hands moving to balance her weight better.

Quil groaned. "Don't look now… everyone's favorite leeches approach." He said with a roll of his eyes. "This should be fun."

"So let them watch." Jacob mused before attacking Bella's lips again. She squealed in giddy pleasure when he turned them and pressed her against her truck so he could grind his hips gently into her pliant body.

Embry only shook his head and snorted softly. "Damn bro. You can claim her later. You've got a huge audience already, and you were told by Sam not to do anything stupid." he said and laughed when Collin, Brady and Seth blushed.

Bella sighed. She was too happy to even be embarrassed as she noticed Lauren Mallory and Jessica Stanley shooting daggers her way; she smirked in return. A throat clearing behind them had her arching her eyebrow in bored awareness. "Yes Edward?"

Alice glared at the wolves standing in her way. "Move mutts." She made a move to push them aside, only to be stopped by Seth. He didn't say a word, but the look on his face was enough to give her pause. All he needed was an excuse and he'd torch her, of that she was sure.

Colin and Brady only growled in response. "Make a move to try and pass and find out just how fast we can send your sorry ass to hell leech." Brady sneered.

"Give us an excuse, pixie. My wolf would love a new chew toy to demolish." Colin added his own insults when Alice again tried to move past them.

"Bella. Please, my love, this isn't you. Look at what they've already done to you. A lady shouldn't behave this way. You're acting like a blatant whore for no reason other than to rile me up! It's childish! Now you've had your fun, it's time to leave." Edward huffed. He heard Bella gasp and the wolves growl dangerously.

Jacob glared and rubbed a soothing hand down Bella's arm. "Do NOT insult her again Cullen. That was your one free pass. We've done NOTHING to her. And she is NOT a whore." He warned looking over his shoulder.

"shh… it's ok Jake. Calm down, ok." She kissed his cheek and slid down his body until her feet were firmly on the ground. "You need to leave me alone Edward. I'm with Jacob now. You need to stay away and let me be happy." She moved to stand in front of Jacob so she could watch him as well as the rest of the boys.

Edward was about to reply when he turned sharply to look towards the woods. There just inside the trees was Sam Uley. "Finally. The alpha."

Jacob was shocked. He had never told Edward who was in charge. Bella huffed. "Did you know he knew that Bells?" He whispered.

Bella growled. "No… but I bet he went through one of your heads to get the information though." She said while still glaring at Edward. "Who called him the alpha?"

"Huh?" Five heads turned to look at her in question. She smiled when Seth looked a little guilty.

"What were you thinking Seth?" She asked him sweetly.

He blushed. "I was just wondering when he was gonna step down as alpha so Jake could take it. I didn't say anything out loud, I swear it you guys. You would have heard me." He almost whined. Bella giggled he reminded her in that moment of a chastised puppy.

"He can read other's minds and he's extremely fast as far as vampires go. You all know Alice can see the future already. Jasper- Alice's mate- can control emotions. Emmett has super strength… the list of special talents for that family ends there I think…I'd say that Carlisle's greatest gift is his compassion, but that thought went out the window the day he left without a backwards glance or so much as a goodbye. Esme has her maternal instincts and ability to love… but even those aren't THAT great- she abandoned one of her children, so she claims." she told them.

"Bella! You can't tell them that!" Alice gasped in shock.

"And why not? They're my family. They have a right to know." Bella shrugged, her eyebrow raised in challenge.

"So he can read your mind to find out anything about the pack anyways? Bella, that sucks." Embry whined.

"No… not me. He can't read my mind. I think that's the ONLY reason he was with me- that and the fact I'm his singer." Bella shrugged.

"What do you mean his singer? What's a singer?" Collin wondered.

Edward hissed. "It's something even YOU wouldn't understand you worthless sack of meat and blood!"

Bella rolled her eyes. "It means that he find my blood irresistible. He always told me that he was always just five seconds away from biting me unless he went to hunt first. And afterwards, he'd dazzle me so I wouldn't feel the need to run away."

"I love you Bella. I didn't want to kill you. I want you by my side for eternity." Edward pleaded.

The wolves were growling almost loud enough for students still loitering in the parking lot to hear. Bella watched with trepidation as the tension grew. This was getting them no closer to home, and it was hindering her from a much needed talk with Leah- which was supposed to take place today after she got out of school. She had been looking forward to it since she had been given the go ahead. Her eyes locked with Sam's silently pleading for him to do something. All the testosterone being shoved around had her slightly overwhelmed. She didn't want one of the boys phasing on accident and she knew that's what Alice and Edward were hoping would happen.

Sam stalked towards them then, having heard enough of the conversation that his proverbial hackles were raised now as well. These vampires were messing with his pack and he wasn't going to let it happen for much longer. "Jacob, your dad needs you home. You as well Bella. Your dad is still at the Clearwater's house. He asked that I bring you over to sit with my Emily for a while."

"You lie! You can't introduce her to that beast! She has no control over herself yet! What happens if she changes too close to Isabella and scars her? She'll kill her!" Edward cried with indignant fury.

Sam was taken aback before growling. "Watch it leech. That's my pack you're talking about!" The rest of the wolves were instantly on edge. Their alpha, as well as their pack mate had been insulted.

Edward turned to Bella then. "Please, Isabella, don't go with them. They mean to let you near a violent she wolf. She could seriously harm you. Come with me love. See reason! You belong at my side. I love you!"

"I asked them to introduce us Edward. I can help her. I've given her a week to learn to control the anger as was asked of me. I'll be fine, the boy's will all be close while we talk. And if I'm not, it's my cross to bear," She said looking pointedly at Sam when he flinched. She turned her attention back to the vampire in front of her. "I'm no longer your concern." Bella said rolling her eyes. "Oh, and… it's Bella- B-E-L-L-A. Learn it." She growled.

"It's not safe! I won't allow you to go! I forbid you from going Isabella. What would your father say about your behavior?" Edward growled reaching for her. She yelped when his hand wrapped around her shirt sleeve. Before he had time to realize he didn't have a good grasp on her, he was being yanked off by Embry and Quil.

That was all it took for Jacob to throw Edward to the ground with a hand around his neck. "Do NOT touch her again. She has TOLD you to leave her alone. Come near her next time and I'll turn you to ashes myself. Go near Charlie and I'll turn you to ashes! You have been warned enough leech. Stay. away." He growled quietly before standing.

Bella eased herself free from Sam's gentle grip and rushed to Jacob's side. "You ok?" She asked systematically looking him over.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry I lost it." Jacob hugged her close and inhaled her scent, his wolf calming immensely.

"Nuh uh. Don't you dare. You were defending me. It's ok." She kissed his chest with a small smile.

"Come on guys. We're the last ones here and we're drawing a crowd." Colin told them noticing the teachers looking at them curiously. Thankfully they had missed the scuffle.

"Do you guys want a ride?" Bella asked.

"Yeah, sure. We kind of just ran here this morning." Quil said sheepishly.

Bella laughed. "Alright then. Come on. Pile in." She said. She didn't even look backwards at Edward as they made themselves comfortable in her truck. It was a tight squeeze with so many shifters, but Embry and Jacob sat in the cab with Bella while Quil and Sam sat in the back as she drove out of the parking lot. Seth, Collin and Brady offered to run home so her truck wouldn't be bogged down with as much weight.

The drive to Sam's was quiet as each of the wolves stayed alert to make sure neither of the vampires followed them. They seemed to let out a collective sigh when they crossed over the invisible treaty line and were back home and safe in their own territory. Only Jacob and Sam were still tense when they pulled into Sam's driveway. Bella shook her head and rolled her eyes when Jacob tried once again to see if she would change her mind.

Emily was waiting for them when they walked into the house. While Collin, Brady and Seth opted to run a patrol circuit, the rest of the wolves made their way to the dining room table. Jacob, Quil and Embry pulled out various books to start their homework. Even with their focus on the notebooks and text books in front of them, each of them had one ear turned towards the kitchen where Bella and Leah were talking. Jacob sighed deeply and watched his alpha and friend. Sam's face was pained as he listened to Leah talking about what she went through.

In the living room, Bella cautiously reached out and took Leah's hand in her own. She knew by now, that above all, the pack were all very physical in their affections. She hoped and prayed it would be alright and smiled slightly when Leah's fingers squeezed her hand gently. Listening to the she wolf speaking from her heart, knowing that she could offer her a shoulder to cry on whenever she needed it, was the start of a friendship bond between the two- of that she was almost certain.

Leah sighed and in a move that surprised them both lay down on the couch with her head on Bella's lap. It may have seemed odd to an outsider, but to them it was just another lupine mannerism rising to the surface- the need to be close to another. She closed her eyes when Bella started humming a lullaby she didn't know as slim fingers ran through her now short hair.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you." She said finally.

Bella shook her head. "There's nothing to apologize for Leah. You were hurt. The only reason I asked to talk to you at all was because I know what it feels like. I understand the pain, the terror, the sleepless nights and the tears shed for crushed dreams." She cooed.

"He was everything to me." Leah whispered. "Why does it still hurt so bad?" She asked wiping a tear away.

Bella shushed her gently, the way a mother would a crying toddler. "He was your first love. It will always hurt a little bit. Leah, the guys may be insensitive pricks sometimes, but they're your pack too. When you hurt, they will. Sam still wants to be your friend. He's told me that. And Emily will always love you. She didn't really mean to betray you- its not what she set out to do. I hope you can see that." She said.

"I do see it. I get it, I do. I really want my friend back. I was just so hurt. It took me turning into a freak to even understand a tenth of what was going on." Leah laughed bitterly.

"Don't you DARE. Leah, you're NOT a freak! You're an amazing woman who has had her heart ripped from her chest by a man she thought would be hers forever. You have compassion in you. I know because I've heard Seth talk about it. You're able to protect your tribe from very serious threats and you have the ability to love with your whole heart- taking care of your family just proves that. So you get fury. Big deal. Those who know you- the real you- won't care." Bella shrugged.

Leah and the pack were astonished. "You really are something amazing Swan." She sighed. "I guess I owe the pack an apology huh." She admitted quietly.

Sam came out then after knocking on the door frame. "You don't owe us anything Leah. I owe you an apology for the way things ended between us. And Bella is right. I would love to be your friend, if you'll let me." He said sitting beside her.

Leah gave him a small smile and sat up. "We were pretty good friends at one time. I think I'd like that… eventually. Just because you all heard me crying and bitching to Swan doesn't mean I'm going to turn into a Stepford wife now. I can still kick your asses." She huffed.

Sam grinned. "Yeah, I think we can live with that. Hey, guys, come out here and talk with us." He cajoled. He noticed Emily staying in the kitchen and sighed. That would be another painful conversation best saved for a later date.

One by one, the rest of the pack filed into the living room. One by one, they hugged Leah and kissed her cheek. Even Paul, the temperamental and most volatile wolf of the pack showed her his acceptance. They all turned to Bella and did the same to her. When all was said and done, they admitted they owed Bella ten fold for her acceptance of them, as well as her help with Leah. Sam couldn't have found a better person to sit and talk with the she wolf if he had tried. It was like looking at two different women. For that she would always have his thanks. 


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer:  
All characters and known situations belong to their respective owners. Everything else came from my own mind- scary place that it is sometimes. In no way shape or form have I made or intended to make a profit from this story…. All rights still belong to Stephanie… though it's a shame she never did anything more with the wolves… ah well.. There's always fan fiction

Authors Note:  
Thanks for the reviews guys :) Makes me smile to see em. And just a heads up, this isn't beta'd. if you catch a mistake, can you give me a heads up? I'll do my best to edit it before hand, but sometimes some stuff will slip through the cracks :)

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Chapter 4

Bella sighed. It was pushing a month now that Edward had been harassing her in school. He was determined that he could get her to see reason, in other words- force her to love him once more. She had told the pack that he had admitted to dazzling her in the beginning when they had first met and then almost once a week thereafter in order to make her stay with him; he had tried to do so on several occasions since coming back. It made everyone's proverbial hackles rise- none so much as Jacob or Paul, who thought of her as a little sister these days.

Even Leah, who had been stand offish towards the girl at first, had fast become her friend- their talk helping immensely to sway her opinion of her future alpha's mate. She was the overprotective big sister, and to hear that she had to deal with the idiot known as sparkle dick by her and Paul made her want to punch her fist through a wall- or the vampires twisted and delusional head- given the chance.

Paul grinned when he saw Bella step foot through Sam's front door. "Hey Swan. Emily is out shopping with Leah for dinner."

"Hey, um that's cool. Is Jake here? Billy said Sam called him over earlier." She was frowning.

"No. They'll be back soon. They're hunting Red again." Jared told her having just walked in from the kitchen biting into his second sandwich.

"What's wrong Swan?" Paul asked seeing her shoulders slump slightly.

"Bella?" Jared asked noticing her frown.

"It's nothing guys." Bella lied plopping down on Sam's couch with a small sigh.

"Nuh uh. Not good enough. I call bullshit on that blatant lie. What's up Swan?" Paul wondered as he and Jared took up places on either side of her.

"Edward. Need I say more?" Bella groaned. "He's got this sick, delusional idea that you and the pack have been brainwashing me somehow and that I just need to see him and his family on my own to come to my senses. It's annoying the hell out of me."

"I swear I'm willing to forgo the treaty and take any punishment deemed fit if I can kill that good for nothing leech with my bare hands." Paul growled.

"Hey… shh. I didn't mean to get you pissed off." Bella said resting her head on his shoulder. Jared only sighed. He sat his plate on the coffee table and placed a hand on her knee. The gesture was friendly and got the intended response when Bella smiled at him. Touch was fundamental to the pack. Sometimes a mere touch was all that was needed.

"Come on Bella. What would you have us do? He's forever harassing you. Him and the pixie both." Paul grumbled. "The only ones who seem to have any sense are Mr. Emotions, the model and the child." He said with an eye roll. Bella tried not to giggle too much.

"He's right you know. The only time you're happy anymore is when you're here on the rez… least that's how I see it." Jared mused.

"I'm just glad Alice can't see past you guys. It makes her mad when she can't see what I'm doing here on the rez and I love it!" Bella grinned.

"Listen to you!" Paul laughed. He smirked when he heard Jacob sneaking up behind them. "All rebellious and sneaky."

Jared shook his head. "I think we've created a monster!" He grinned over her head at Jacob.

"Yes well. This monster is missing her boyfriend." Bella pouted.

"And your boyfriend is missing you!" Jacob whispered in her ear.

Bella squealed and climbed over the back of the couch to get to Jacob. The wolves present all laughed as she all but melded their bodies together. She only sighed when she all but climbed his body to wrap her legs around his waist as they kissed.

Sam shook his head. It wasn't the same as an imprint, and they weren't marked as mates just yet, but he knew their love ran deep for one another. He admitted that Jacob had been right- Bella had only needed to give him a chance and once she realized she had never loved Edward, Bella flourished in the deep love for her best friend. Deep down he was happy that they still had the choice to fall in love the right way. And once she was marked, their bond would be just as lasting as an imprint.

"Alright you two, stop sucking face! I don't want to have to kick you out." Sam teased.

"Oh come on Sam, did you really have to do that?! It was just getting good!" Jared snickered as they finally broke apart and both of them blushed.

Jacob sighed and moved them both to the arm chair. He pulled her into his lap and nuzzled her neck. "Missed you." He murmured smirking when Paul pretended to gag.

"Missed you too." She grinned and sighed in relief as the tension left her body when Jacob's hands massaged her shoulders gently.

"So what's got you all upset now?" Sam asked having not heard the first part.

"Edward was in my house when I got home from work today." She sighed. "He opened my window and climbed inside. My bags were packed and waiting. If not for the fact that Charlie was pulling into the drive, I can almost guarantee he would have tried to take me with him. As it stands, he raced to put my bags back and I told my dad I was coming here."

The growling didn't even phase her anymore. Jared huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "You didn't tell us THAT part Bella! How are we supposed to defend you when you won't let us know what's going on?" He chastised gently.

"See how you're acting right now? Think I want to be around that when there's not an alpha male who can calm your asses down?" She teased.

Paul sighed. He wanted to be mad at her for not sharing that tidbit with them, but she had a point. And she had cursed. She really had been hanging around the pack too often these days. Not that he was going to complain about all that. He only shook his head. He really hated Edward Cullen.

"He'll get his. Trust me." Jacob muttered darkly. Paul secretly agreed.

"He just won't take no for an answer. And Alice told me yesterday while I was at work that she saw me as a vampire again and swore you were using your wolf magic or tribe voodoo to keep me imprisoned here." She told them with exasperation in her voice as she rolled her eyes.

The other wolves couldn't help it. They let loose peals of laughter as they looked at one another. It was one thing for Jacob to be accused of stealing the girl that Edward wanted for his own. It was another thing entirely to blame the entire pack- and then to say it was because of some wolf magic or tribe voodoo? Sam wiped the tears from his eyes. ""Oh is THAT all? Damn Bella, the gig is up. You've found us out." He teased.

Jared snickered. "Well damn Jake. Guess you need to stop using your magic and voodoo on her so she can decide for herself huh. What do you say Bella, should we go ask Old Quil to stop making voodoo dolls of you. Then you could see how bad we all are to be around. Or wait… no… they say we're dangerous, uneducated mutts." He teased.

"Hmm you may be right. No more magic Bells. Sorry." Jacob grinned.

Bella pouted. "Well damn. That's no fun. Guess I'll have to find some wolf magic somewhere else huh. What do you say I ask Leah instead? Think she has the voodoo I need to stay here?" She teased causing Jacob to growl and Bella's eyes to close momentarily. She loved his growl.

Jared shook his head. "What is it with girls and the growl?" He mused looking to Sam. "Kim does that too."

"Hell if I know. Emily loves it though." Sam grinned. He may be their alpha, but he was still a young man too, not that his looks would tell a stranger that.

Paul rolled his eyes. "It's a danger thing. Either that a thrill factor I haven't been able to figure it out yet." He shrugged. "What?" He asked when he saw Sam and Jared staring at him.

"Do I even WANT to know how you know that?" Jared teased.

Paul sniffed. "Do we really want to talk about conquests here and now?" He challenged with a raised eyebrow. He smirked when Sam sighed and Jared threw a pillow at him instead of answering.

It was Jacobs turn to roll his eyes. He kissed Bella's temple and wrapped his arms around her waist. He and the other wolves paused in their friendly banter when a howl sounded through the air. Bella watched them wondering what was going on.

"Baby, we gotta go. Leah and Emily should be here- now," Jacob said when they rushed through the door carrying bags of groceries, "I need you to stay here. We'll be back soon."

"Stay safe. All of you ok?" Bella kissed Jacob on the lips before he went bounding out of the back door and into the forest with the rest of his pack. After he phased, he was bombarded by Colin and Brady's thoughts. There at the treaty line stood the entire Cullen coven.

"Oh hell. This isn't good." Jared whined in agitation.

"Lets just get this over with. I hate their stink." Paul growled.

Embry rolled his large eyes. "I tend to agree with Paul for once. Nothing good is going to come of this. Hey Paul, what was that?"

Sam mentally groaned when images of Bella telling them what had happened before she ended up in his living room flashed through the pack mind. All of the wolves were on edge with the newest information. Paul huffed. "I still say we destroy them now. We have the numbers!"

Jacob shook his giant wolf head as they stopped inside the tree line. "We can't do that Paul. It would start a war and they would see just how well we fight or where our weaknesses lie. It's what they want. They're trying to see how hard it will be to fight for Bella after the redhead is gone."

Quil rubbed his side against Paul's. It was a lupine mannerism, and one he didn't openly acknowledge unless another of the pack started poking fun at who ever was doing it. It was merely a soothing gesture- a way to try and offer one another what limited amount of comfort they could in this form.

"So what are we going to do about the barrage of info we just found out. Sparkle dick is going to know what we know in about ten seconds." Quil muttered.

"None of you will think about anything to do with the pack when in the presence of any of the Cullens. You will not answer any of their questions. Above all, you will not engage during this meeting unless otherwise told to first." Sam's command rushed over the pack as they ran, effectively putting an end to the debate.

"Paul, Jacob come with me. The rest of you stay in the trees. Leah the girls ok?" Sam checked.

Leah lay by Sam's house. "They're fine. Kim is here too, Jared. Seth went and got her so the girls could be together. They're all inside with him now. Take care of things and get back, Emily and Kim are already antsy as is. Bella isn't much better."

Sam phased into his human form and walked out of the tree line with Paul to his left, Jacob to his right- both still as wolves. It highly impressed Jasper who was watching them intently. He wanted to find out how much they knew about Victoria. The sooner they found and killed her, the sooner he, Emmett and Rosalie could leave- they didn't want to be a part of making Bella's life miserable because she seemed to find a place that she was happy in.

"Why are you all by the treaty line?" Sam asked gruffly. He could see the disappointment in Carlisle's eyes when it was just the three of them coming to talk. For once he was thankful he knew of Edward's ability to read minds.

Edward looked from the wolves to Sam and finally to the trees. "The others are staying inside the tree line. I can't hear anything in their thoughts at all besides cars, or… women." His lip curled in disgust when he looked at Paul. "Can't you at LEAST control your thoughts… they're obscene!" He scoffed.

"That's right Eddie boy. THAT'S how you make a woman gush." Paul would have laughed if he were able. He had to settle for feeling rather smug when Edward took a step backwards in disgust. Jasper smirked when he felt the smugness rolling off of Paul's form in waves. It only made him curious as to what he was thinking of that could be enough to cause such disquiet in his coven mates mind.

"We actually wanted to speak to Bella." Alice said. "She's the only sensible one around you mutts." She sneered.

"Watch your tone leech. Bella is no longer your concern. She's the chosen mate to one of the wolves. She'll stay that way." Sam said much without saying anything.

Edward stared hard at him. "Why can I not find anything in their thoughts other than what they are thinking?" He glared. "Even you."

"I guess you should learn to stop invading other people's privacy. Now. what. do. you. want?" He growled.

Jasper took a moment to soothe the frayed nerves of his coven mates and the those of the wolves before stepping forward. "I called for this impromptu meeting. I apologize, but I wanted to meet with you all. I'd like to offer you my aide and that of my family in searching for Victoria. The sooner she's dead, the sooner we can move on. I'll not impose on Bella, or cause her any unjust unhappiness."

Sam had a feeling there was more said in those words than was let on. The pixie sent a glare in his direction that spoke volumes. "We'll see. What would you have us do?"

"You can't be serious Jasper! They're mutts! They can't help!" Alice cried out in shock. "They can't be trusted! They want to keep Bella away from us!"

Paul and Jacob growled while Sam only sneered. "Like YOU helped Bella when you LEFT?" He asked thinking of the night they found her. "Tell me leech, what kept you away from her for the months that followed?! What happened THEN?!" He asked thinking about how she had begun to slowly waste away.

His memories were almost to bring Edward to the ground. "Please. No more. I beg you, stop." His voice sounded so pained that Alice stopped screeching at Jasper instantly and flocked to her brothers side. She missed the sneer that passed over Jasper's lips as she did.

"You can help…Keep him away from Bella. Keep BOTH of them away. Or you'll get NO help from us at all." Sam warned.

Jasper nodded. "Very well." It was clear he was in charge of the coven, at least for the time being. "If it would be possible, I'd like to show you a few tricks to help you, if you're able to meet back here sometime during the coming week?"

"Jasper! You can't promise that! Bella will be one of us! I've seen it!" Alice cried desperately before Sam could answer.

"You saw what you wanted to see!" Rosalie hissed. "She doesn't want this life! And with her mind free of the allure even SHE knows what she wants is a normal life with someone who can love her and not be afraid to hurt her."

Sam nodded his head towards the trees- a silent command that it was time to go. He left as quietly as he had come while the vampires fought. Jasper watched him go with open curiosity and a little awe before turning his attention back to his mate and his sister. There would be time to deal with his wonder of the shape shifters later on. Now he had to settle everyone down as best as he could before they all killed one another.

Sam welcomed the feel of the phase, used his hidden well of anger to shift seamlessly into a midnight black behemoth of a wolf. They all knew, even though Sam had warned them, that Edward and Alice were far from done trying to get Bella to see their side of things. He thought about the open resentment spreading across the major's face and wondered if they were well and truly mates after all. Bella had told them they were, but he didn't think one mate would so openly resent another.

The pack found themselves in Sam's back yard after the meeting. Leah and Seth were wrestling while Emily, Bella and Kim all watched and laughed, egging them on. It lightened their hearts to see and soon enough, Embry, Quil and Paul had joined in on the play to tackle Leah. Colin and Brady used the distraction to pounce on Seth and all the while Sam, Jacob and Jared phased and moved as a choreographed unit towards the back porch and their mates.

Bella grinned when Jacob sat behind her on the steps and wrapped his arms around her waist, watching his pack play. "Have fun?" She asked.

"No. I never do when I'm away from you. Having to see Edward and not be able to torch him doesn't help." Jacob finally whined.

"Soon enough babe. He'll mess up. You know he always does." She shrugged, laughing when Leah trotted over towards them with her head high in the air. She had just laid out not one but three of the pack and was looking every bit like a preening peacock.

Even Jacob smirked. "Come on guys… you gonna take that?" He taunted.

Paul yipped and snapped his jaws towards Sam and Jacob- a blatant though playful challenge. Bella and Emily merely laughed. Leah sighed and rested beside her friends, a rumbling purr emitting from her chest as Bella scratched her behind the ears and Emily pet the soft fur around her neck.

Bella had sat down with both Emily and Leah soon after talking in Sam's living room. Together, Bella and Emily helped Leah realize that while Sam now loved Emily, the two never meant to harm her; they both still loved her. When Emily told her exactly how she had gotten attacked- how she fought the pull of the imprint, Leah reached out and hugged her fiercely. Since then, they had gone back to being close friends and the pack couldn't have been happier about it.

"Well damn you two. You've tamed her!" Jared crowed. His eyes danced with mirth while Leah growled at him; it was a clear warning that said she'd lay him out as well if he didn't hush up.

Kim rolled her eyes. "And you won't get any if you keep it up." She all but growled out. Leah let out a wolf's version of a smug grin as she shifted closer to Kim in thanks for defending her. After her talk with Emily and Bella, they sat down with Kim and together during a girls night out they laid down the foundations for a friendship all of their own within the pack.

"W-what? But… baby… that's just… I mean… that's not… that's so not fair!" Jared spluttered.

"And neither is the way you all pick on poor Leah!" Emily huffed.

"I see how it is…" Sam mused breaking Emily out of her thoughts. "Women ALWAYS stick together." He muttered. The pack, all of whom had, by now phased back, nodded in agreement. It was clearly the wrong thing to say if Sam was judging the scowl on Emily's face right.

"And MEN do the same thing. And I'd keep those comments to yourself, Samuel Levi Uley, if you want to eat anything tonight." Emily almost growled.

"You too, Jake, before you even open your mouth. I'd think VERY carefully about what the next words out of your mouth are! Leah is your sister, and by rights as the only female wolf right now, the alpha female! You should show her respect instead of trying to gang up on her the way you do!" Bella grizzled. Leah phased back and snickered quietly at the chastised looks on her pack mates faces.

"Come on guys, lets go fix lunch. We'll give the boys some time to THINK about how to treat a woman properly." Kim huffed. Together the girls walked inside leaving a weary pack in their wake.

"Who's bright idea was it to get them all together under the same roof again?" Brady wondered after a few moments had passed.

"Who knows. I just hope no one else imprints! Wolf chicks are scary when they're mad!" Colin sighed.

Jacob, Sam and Jared only nodded. Squeals and laughter floated to the boys from the kitchen a short time later. When they all peered through the window that saw Emily and Kim play fighting with two wooden spoons, brandishing them like a pair of swords. Bella was hiding behind Leah who was fighting back tears of laughter.

"What… the hell…." Colin snickered.

"I don't think I even WANT to know." Jacob agreed.

"….women are nuts, wolf women especially it seems." Embry teased before they all walked in through the still open back door. Jacob, Sam and Jared all growled in warning towards their pack mates before stopping when Bella, Emily and Kim turned to him.

"What are you growling at?" Bella asked.

"Nothing Bells." He muttered. He growled again when Quil mimicked a whip being cracked before he and Embry snickered in a corner.

"Keep it up mister, and you won't be getting any anytime soon." She teased quietly.

Jacob huffed while the pack all snickered- he didn't get any as it was, not that they didn't know that. Jacob didn't miss the shiver that ran down her spine when he growled out a warning to the younger guys. He was dragged from the house shortly after that- after Bella had said her goodbyes to everyone. When they climbed into her truck, before he could even start it, she was in his lap. Their mouths were fused together and their tongues battled for dominance within their kiss. She really loved his growl.

Bella's hands moved to tangle in his short hair, pulling ever so slightly. Jacob growled again, a feral sound that moved straight to her core, which caused her to further melt into him. His hands traveled the length of her torso, mapping her every curve and bump with his heated fingers. So engrossed were they, that they never heard Embry, Quil, Colin and Brady sneaking up to the front of the truck. Just as Bella's hand wrapped around Jacob's thick cock, Brady slammed his hand down on the hood of the truck. Luckily light enough that the hood didn't dent.

Bella gasped and jumped away from Jacob in shock. "What the hell?!"

Jacob looked out of the windshield and growled at his brothers. "You're SO dead!" He hissed menacingly.

"Come on Jake, it was all in good fun!" Brady crowed.

"I'll show you-" Jacob moved to step out of the truck before Bella placed a hand on his arm.

"Hey, Jake…. Come on. Let's go home. You can make it up to him tomorrow at school in front of Piper." Bella smirked- having recovered from her fright. She knew full well they could hear her. Jacob smirked evilly.

Brady paled. "You…. You guys KNOW about that?!" He gulped.

"I know HER too, Brady! Her dad is one of my dad's deputies." Bella's grin was feral and for once Embry and Quil stayed quiet. "Imagine what she would think if she knew what an ASSHAT you were. I mean… just IMAGINE how she would feel if she knew all you wanted from her was a piece of tail…" Bella cooed, her voice saccharine sweet.

Jacob smirked. "Now now Bells." He purred dragging her close again. "You're scaring him." He teased.

Bella only huffed and crossed her arms. "Promise me you'll behave Brady, or Piper and I are having a talk! And I can guaren-damn-tee you, she won't have a THING to do with you afterwards!" She hissed.

"I promise! I swear! I'll behave from now on!" Brady squeaked.

"Damn Brady! She's got you by the balls!" Colin teased.

"Don't think I don't know about Alexis, Colin. I know her dad too." Bella said with an arched eyebrow.

It was Colin's turn to pale. "H-how'd you know?"

Bella shrugged. "It's a small town. And I'm observant. And I know her as well Colin, so don't get any cute ideas!" She warned.

Quil only shook his head. "Jake… go have fun. She's got a lot of tension to work out." He smirked.

Embry only sighed. "Come on Quil. Let's go see if Paul wants to share in the kicking of your ass in Halo."

"HEY!" Quil huffed. He and Embry argued the whole way back inside Sam's house, followed by a subdued Colin and Brady. Bella was well and truly scary and they now held the same amount of respect for her that their brothers did. They made a vow that they'd try to never irritate the woman again knowing now that she could be deadly when she wanted to be. They finally understood a little of the attraction their future alpha had towards her.


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer:  
All characters and known situations belong to their respective owners. Everything else came from my own mind- scary place that it is sometimes. In no way shape or form have I made or intended to make a profit from this story…. All rights still belong to Stephanie… though it's a shame she never did anything more with the wolves… ah well.. There's always fan fiction

Authors Note: Thanks for so many awesome reviews =)

Chapter 5

Bella sighed contently as she sat on the second step of her back porch in between Jacob's splayed legs while he sat on the first step. They were enjoying the cool night air from where they sat watching stars while Billy and Charlie watched some game in the living room. They were content with each other's presence and didn't need to fill it with inane chatter. They had finally come to an accord after the shouting match that took place at the beach earlier in the day. Bella found out from Leah- who had been hanging out at her house practically every day since the attempted kidnapping incident- that Jacob had a wolf on rotation at all times of the day watching her house. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, but she was only human and if Edward was to try something else, she would be useless to stop it.

"I'm sorry Bells. I know I should have told you." Jacob said again. He kissed the crown of her head and wrapped his arms loosely around her shoulders.

Bella smiled and leaned further into his warmth. "Don't worry about it Jake. I get why you did it. I really do. I just wish you had talked to me."

Jacob rested his chin on her shoulder and pulled her a little closer. His wolf rumbled in content when she let her fingers caress the smooth skin of his toned and well muscled arms. "If I ever go to make a decision like that again that directly involves you and your safety, I'll talk to you first- unless we're under direct threat. Deal?"

"It's a deal handsome. Thank you." She cooed before turning her head to meet his lips in a sweet kiss.

Jacob took advantage of the situation and deepened the kiss after a few moments. His hands rested- one on her hip, the other on her upper thigh- and ignited a burning need within her. He grinned when she whimpered, trying to scoot closer still to him. In the past few months they had become more bold and the sexual tension had grown larger between the two.

"Bells… damn… we have to stop." Jacob groaned when she gently nipped at his lower lip. He didn't know if he really wanted to though.

Bella pouted. "Why? No one is out here with us." She cajoled gently. She turned and stood before moving to sit in his lap, her lips attacking his neck with teasing nips and kisses. She smirked against his skin when she felt him harden beneath her.

"Baby… our dads… they'll see us." He moaned when she started grinding against him. His hands moved to her waist- to guide her or push her off, he wasn't sure.

"I want you so bad Jake." She whispered hotly in his ear.

His control was slipping as he closed his eyes and swallowed audibly. "You know I want you too. I dream about it every night." He growled. "I want you on your hands and knees while I fuck you. I want you screaming my name before I mark you as mine forever." He all but hissed as he gave in to his body and started guiding her hips to move against his.

"Hmmm… is that the only way you want me?" She all but purred.

Jacob grinned. "Nuh uh. I want you on your back with your feet by my head while I pound into you until you can't scream anymore." He whispered before sucking a kiss from her neck.

Bella moaned and leaned her head back to give him better access to her neck. Her fingers carded through his cropped hair as their hips moved faster against each other. She gasped when she felt his fingers tweaking her nipples through the fabric of her shirt and bra and all but shuddered when he gently bit the flesh at the juncture of her neck and shoulder. "What else?" She begged.

"I want you to ride me. I want to watch you come undone over me so I can catch you as you fall into my arms. But you know what I really want?" He purred in her ear.

She groaned and closed her eyes. She was close now and knew he knew. He pulled her body tighter to his as their hips worked against each other faster and harder. "What do you want Jake?" She whispered huskily.

A shiver ran down Jacob's spine as liquid fire began to spread through his lower abdomen. "I want to watch you, after we're wed. I want to see your body swell with the life of my pups. I can see you Bells. I see the light dancing in your eyes and the smile on your face every time I come home from work. I see the passion we hold for each other at night, when we're by ourselves, lost to the world of sinful pleasure. I want a life with you. And I know that's what you want too. Say it Bella. Tell my wolf and I… you're mine." He growled knowing how close she was.

Bella's eyes dilated as she found her release. His husky, needy voice had her winding on his body wantonly. It wasn't but a few moments later that she heard him grunting as bliss crashed over his body as well. They sat panting with their foreheads touching, lost to the world around them as they stared into each others eyes. It was only a few minutes after Bella's eyes had closed that Jacobs growl jolted them open again.

"Jake?" Her voice shook as she said his name wondering what was going on.

Jacob squeezed her hand gently in assurance, his eyes trained towards the woods. "Call Sam." He whispered in her ear.

Bella turned to where he was staring to see Edward, Alice along with Carlisle and Esme walking out of the trees. "Jake, come inside with me. Please. You can't take them all on your own. Your strong, but they don't play fair."  
"She's right you know." Edward sneered. "It'd be one less dog to step in my way." He spat.

"Edward, enough!" Esme hissed.

Bella's hand tightened on Jacob's arm- her terror for him growing at Edward's statement. "Jake, please, come inside with me. We can call Sam together."

"I won't fight them Bells. It'll be ok." Jacob soothed.

"Five minutes. You hear me!" She made him promise.

Jacob looked down at her, his hard eyes softening immensely as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I promise. Five minutes. If they don't leave on their own, I'll come inside. Ok?" He watched Bella go inside, heard the phone lift out of the cradle before turning back to the vampires in front of him.

Alice sneered. "Where are the rest of the dogs?" She growled, little more than frustrated that she couldn't sense them at all.

Jacob shrugged. "They're around. Why? Frustrated you can't get to Bella anymore? Do you not take hints pixie? She doesn't want you around at all!" He growled.

Edward scoffed. "It's you who doesn't take the hint. We want to talk to her, and yet you step in when it's not your place to step in! You're not needed here. My family and I can keep her safe."

Jacob snarled. His thoughts turned to the one thing he knew would bring him to his knees. He pictured Bella in his mind: the night she was found, next day after, the first month when she started to not eat, all that followed by the six months where she nearly wasted away due to what he and his coven had done to her. His wolf rumbled in satisfaction when he watched Edward drop to his knees at the onslaught of memories. When he deemed it long enough, the memories faded. It had all happened in the space of a mere moment as Jacob stared at the three remaining vampires. 'One down, one to go.' He mused.

Alice sneered. "You're not playing fair dog." She hissed petulantly.

Carlisle sighed. "Jacob, we mean Bella no harm. We came to say we're sorry. Edward and Alice have been beside themselves with grief since we left here. They don't understand why Bella doesn't want to talk to them anymore. I only wish she would talk to us so we could tell her ourselves that we were sorry."

Jacob arched a brow. "Is that right?" He was amazed at how calm he sounded, even in his own ears. "And tell me, after the way you left her, no goodbyes, no returned calls, no texts- NOTHING- why would she ever want to be civil to you?"

"We just want to see Bella!" Alice pleaded. "We want to tell her we shouldn't have left. We never intended for her to hurt the way she did. If we had known-"

Jacob growled slightly interrupting her speech. "But she doesn't want to see you. YOU made the choice to leave HER in the first place. YOU made the choice to ABANDON her when she needed you the MOST. YOU left HER!" He growled quietly enough that Charlie and his dad wouldn't hear it. It was no less menacing in it's intentions and Jacob let a smug smirk cross his lips when Edward flinched.

"You think we don't know that?! We want to make up for it, but you damn mutts are always in the way!" Alice seethed.

"And it's a damn good thing too! No telling WHAT would happen to her if she was to stay in your… company. Need I remind you about the damn leech that wants to KILL her because of you and yours?" Jacob's growl was scary, even to his own ears. His body was quivering as his anger rose higher and higher. He stared from one vampire to the next and became that much more intent to keep Bella safe from harm.

Edward sneered having caught the last of his thoughts. "We would never hurt her like that. I was wrong to leave her like I did. I only want what's best for her. She needed to know that I lied. I could never live this life without her. She's my mate. The only one I love." He groaned.

Jacob spat at his feet. "No tick. She's MY mate. And right now, you're pushing the envelope when it comes to that fact. She doesn't want you or your family back. She's made it clear time and time again that she wants you to leave her alone. Next time you come to talk to her, you better pray that I'm in a good mood like I was tonight. If not, there will be hell to pay and it would be YOU in ashes. Do NOT take my threats lightly either. You may be centuries old, but I promise you, I'll still beat you at any game you try to play." He growled taking a menacing step forward.

"Easy Jake. Easy." A deep voice sounded out. Jacob stopped growling when he heard his alpha's voice.

Bella had called Sam as asked and was waiting by the kitchen window. When she saw Sam, Paul, Embry and Quil walking out of the trees, she rushed out to Jacob's side. She started checking him over subtly causing Paul, Embry and Quil to roll their eyes.

"They didn't fight Bells. Its ok." Embry soothed.

Bella growled. "You think I care that they didn't fight?! This is Edward we're talking about!" She snapped. "I wouldn't put it past him to try and hurt Jacob just so he can try to prove to me how much better off I am with him. The only thing I want him to prove to me is that he'll listen and leave me the hell alone."

"Bella." Edwards voice sounded pained.

"What?! You… I'm SO tired of you! You selfish copper topped jackass! You think you can come on to MY property uninvited, threaten MY boyfriend and I'd be ok with it? That I'd just look away? You think you can walk up with Alice, Carlisle and Esme and think it'll be ok because you've brought the most quiet vampires of the coven? You think I'll suddenly leave the wolves- abandon my family- for you? FUCK that. You can take your old fashioned ass and LEAVE!" She hissed.

Quil snickered just loud enough for the vampires to hear it. "Remind me to replay this later for the pack." He told Embry from behind Paul's back so Bella wouldn't see it. He didn't think she'd find him so amusing right now.

Embry chuckled. "This is almost popcorn worthy." He said with a grin meant to antagonize the vampires they were standing in front of.

Paul snorted. "Almost?! It IS popcorn worthy!" He commented before their attention was turned to Edward who had moved towards her.

"Please, my love. They're not right for you. Listen to the way you're speaking now! This isn't you…They're not…they're not good enough for you!" Edward insisted.

"And you are?" She arched an eyebrow. "Tell me how you figure that one. They wouldn't leave me alone to fend for myself in the woods at night. The pack lets me be myself. Leah and the other girls don't try to constantly play Bella Barbie and above all else, I don't have to change myself for them. So, coppertop, how are YOU better than the pack?!"

"We're better than these dogs Isabella. We're not uneducated mongrels. We're more sophisticated and well versed in the splendors of the world. We can offer you more than any of them EVER can! They'll never be able to leave their little hole in the ground! You can see the world with us!" He snapped.

"Watch it leech. That little hole in the ground is our home, where WE'RE welcome ALL the time, not just a few months every other decade." Paul growled.

"You're playing yourself out. The insults are just that tick. Insults. Over time, they grow old. However, I won't stand for you talking to Bella like she's a misbehaving child. She has the right to make up her own mind and you WILL respect that, or you will deal with the pack. Now. What. Do. You. Want?"

Esme sighed. She had had enough. "Edward. We're not here to throw insults. Please, just behave or go home."

"But, Esme…" Edward couldn't believe she would take their side.

"She's right, Edward. Getting them riled up isn't helping. And it's insulting Bella which doesn't help us at all." Alice said quietly.

Bella lifted her chin slightly and crossed her arms over her chest. She watched as Edward eyed Jacob before drawing himself up to his full height. He was still no where near as tall as Jacob, though he towered over Bella. She had to stand on the very top step to match him in height. She still felt safe though, as the wolves of her pack stood beside and a little in front of her just as a precaution.

"Please, we just want to talk to you, Isabella." Edward told them, his eyes not leaving her. "Preferably alone if we can." He insisted.

"Go home. I was relaxing before you got here. You need to leave me alone. I'm not going to tell you again that I don't want you. I'm happy with Jacob." Bella sighed.

Carlisle sighed and Esme hung her head. "We'll leave. Forgive us for intruding Bella." He said. He and Esme were gone with a nod of their heads.

"Please, Bella. I would never hurt you. I love you so much. Please, just, come back to me." Edward begged when they left.

"It's too late for that, bloodsucker." Embry spat. "You almost broke her once already!" He growled. "You won't have that chance again. The wolves of this pack would die before we saw it happen."

Edward smirked. "I can see to that quickly enough." He threatened.

Bella shook her head and sighed. She closed her eyes for a moment to gather her thoughts. "You both need to go home." She said again. "Please, just listen to me and leave. I don't want to hear anymore about it. I just want to spend the rest of the night with my boyfriend relaxing. I've already shouted enough today."

Before Edward could say anything else, Alice went motionless briefly. Bella eyed her warily and moved even closer to the wolves helping to keep her ex at bay. Edwards head shot towards his sister as the wolves watched with baited breaths for her vision to end. Bella's hand found Jacobs and squeezed it when Alice gasped and looked at straight at her.

"Alice?" Bella asked hesitantly.

"We'll need to move her." Edward conceded.

"She can't stay here, you're right. It's too open." Alice agreed.

Paul growled breaking up their conversation. "Will ONE of you start talking before I break the treaty and light you both on fire?!" He snapped.

"Alice had a vision…. Victoria and Laurent have created three newborns. They're coming after you Bella. Very soon at that. We need to go now. If not then she'll come after you here. We can send you somewhere safe. We'd be with you too, of course, to protect you." Edward said gently reaching for her.

Bella backed away from his searching hand, hiding herself behind Jacob and Paul. "I'm NOT leaving." She insisted.

"But Bella. You need to be protected!" Alice said.

"The wolves have been doing a wonderful job so far." She snapped. The wolves gathered sensed her rising distress and instinctually laid a hand on either her arms or shoulders to offer their support and comfort.

Edward growled. "It's not THEIR territory!"

"What?" Bella asked suddenly confused when Jacob sucked in a sharp breath.

"You ASS!" Quil hissed. Embry growled readily along with Jacob and Paul.

"What are you talking about Edward?" She asked her very smug looking ex. "Guys? What does he mean?" She asked them when Edward didn't reply.

Sam sighed. "Bella," His voice was gentle as she turned to him. "As per the treaty, Forks is technically under the protection of the Cullen coven." He tried and failed to say what needed to be said.

"What does that have to do with any of this?" Bella asked them.

Jacob closed his eyes and sighed. "Bells…. Honey… if- if they say…" He stopped to swallow thickly, trying to gather his thoughts.

"What… Jake, if they say what?" Bella asked quietly, though there was panic in her voice.

"Swan… if they say we can't be here in our wolf forms…. Then you'll have no one from the pack to watch you properly." Paul said, his eyes never leaving Edward or Alice.

Edward's smirk was victorious until he saw the fire in Bella's eyes- the hatred shining there for him. "Bella… it would be for your own good. They're too temperamental to be around you." He tried.

"Jacob has been around me all night!" She shouted. Thankfully the game inside drowned it out. "The guys have been around me for MONTHS for that matter!" She hissed.

"She has a point there Edward. Loathe as I am to admit it. They've not lost their tempers with her yet." Alice sighed.

"This is still OUR territory." Edward spat. "I'll not have these inferior mutts sniffing around what is MINE!" He seethed.

"Fine… you want to play that card…wait here for a minute guys." Bella said before she stalked angrily inside.

Everyone waited on baited breath while Bella muted the game. She waited for their protests to stop and schooled her face into one of pure worry. "Hey, dad… I was wondering… Leah is having a rough time of it right now… what with Harry… with him not here anymore… Jake just told me he's been REALLY worried about her. She's not eating right, she's not talking to anyone… and I don't want to see her do what I did. It would kill her family." She was playing it up good.

"I had heard the same thing from Sue." Charlie said quietly. "Both she and Seth are really broken up and out of sorts right now."

"Do you… I mean… would it be alright if I spent a couple weeks there with her… I'd still go to school every day, and I'll do all my homework too.. .but Leah is my friend and I don't want her hurting like this." She said quietly, purposely making herself appear more upset than she was.

"That's a great idea Bells… wait… you want to STAY there?! Meaning you won't be in your own bed at night?!" Charlie growled quietly. Edward smirked. He was sure Charlie would refuse her request.

"Dad… I'd be at Leah's! And I'm sure Sue wouldn't mind! I could come here first and cook for you, or cook there and send Seth here with some food. Come on dad! Please? She needs someone who understands what it's like to have someone you loved ripped from you so suddenly." Edward winced at the blatant barb.

Charlie sighed. "Sue did say Leah could use a friend. What do you think Billy?"

Bella eyed Billy, pleading with him to understand why she was asking this all of a sudden. Billy smiled. "I'd say Bella has a huge heart. And I would let her use some of that kindness in it to help Leah while she's in pain." He said. "Besides, it's not like you won't be there every other day. You sly old dog." He roared with laughter when Charlie only blushed crimson.

"Alright Bells. Just for a few weeks! A month at the most." He said finally. Edward and Alice stood in front of the wolves glaring at them, not wanting to leave just yet.

Bella grinned and hugged her dad tightly, doing the same thing to Billy. "I'm gonna tell Jake." She said told them before skipping back outside.

Jacob smirked. "Well now… THAT'S solved!" He said when she walked back outside.

Bella only giggled at him before turning to the two unwelcome guests on her lawn. "Now I think I asked you to leave." She all but growled.

"Bella, you can't do this! Please, love! I won't allow this!" Edward finally growled reaching for her.

Within seconds Jacob, Paul, Embry and Quil had Bella boxed in between them. Sam growled as he stared at Edward and Alice. "She said. leave. So leave."

"Edward, come on. We need to go. Now isn't the time." She said cryptically.

Ten tense seconds passed before Edward and Alice blurred off into the trees. Bella sighed and slumped against Jacob. "Ok, back off guys. I'm gonna sweat to death!" She griped good naturedly.

Paul smirked. "Yeah, yeah Swan… you're awesome by the way. The look on his face… I didn't even expect you to do it." He said wrapping her into a gentle hug before returning her to Jacob's arms. It still floored the pack to see him so openly affectionate with her.

Bella only rolled her eyes. "Thanks you guys." She said as they all sat down with her and Jacob. She knew they would each need a few "wolf moments" to make sure everything was ok before leaving.

"Its nothing Bells." Quil grinned.

Embry merely waved her off and bumped shoulders with Jacob. Quil shrugged and patted Jacob on the arm. This was their way of saying it was alright. The touching, the comradeship, the brotherhood was all for the enforcement of the pack. Sam was the last to physically touch Jacob, it was only a hand laid on his shoulder, but it was enough.

"Come on guys. It's late. I'm sure Bella needs her rest. I'll send Leah over, tell her to cry. That way you can invite her over for the night while she's here. If the leeches come back at least you won't be alone with them." Sam told her.

Bella smiled. "Sounds like a plan. Thanks again you guys." She said giving them each a hug. It was her way of showing them that she cared. And it was something that touched them- that she took the time to understand their wolves just as much as them. She leaned up and kissed the underside of Jacob's jaw- something that floored Paul, Embry and Quil- before trailing chaste kisses to his lips. "I'll see you at school tomorrow." She whispered before heading inside.

Jacob sighed. "You know guys," He said jumping off the porch steps, "Life is good. I'll still kill that tick if I see him again. But for now, life is good." They phased at the tree line and ran home, each to their own beds to gather a few hours of sleep before waking in time for another drama filled day. 


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer:  
All characters and known situations belong to their respective owners. Everything else came from my own mind- scary place that it is sometimes. In no way shape or form have I made or intended to make a profit from this story…. All rights still belong to Stephanie… though it's a shame she never did anything more with the wolves… ah well.. There's always fan fiction

Authors Note:  
Thanks so much for the reviews guys. Makes me happy to read em. Your feedback is much appreciated. And for those of you who may think that Jake is being too lenient, trust me. His wolf is chomping at the bit to get a bite outta eddie boy… the man in him is trying to bide his time for the perfect moment to show him why its not ok to mess with a wolfs mate. Eddie boy'll get his . It gets bad before it gets good.

Chapter 6

Bella groaned in aggravation when she turned in the deserted hallway at the end of the school day, only to find that she wasn't the sole occupant. She shoved her books into her bag and slammed her locker shut. Her quick and easy exit was blocked by the obnoxiously persistent vampire in front of her- yet again. She sighed deeply and crossed her arms over her chest as she made the appearance of staring at him while actually looking over his shoulder. She had practiced with Jacob and the rest of the wolves until she could do it perfectly. She didn't want to be dazzled by him all over again and forget everything she had with the pack and Jacob.

"What is it this time Edward?" She asked tiredly. She didn't understand why he just couldn't take the hint.

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. "Really, Isabella, this behavior has gone on for long enough. There is no reason for you to keep playing with their hearts the way you have been. Once you've come to your senses, everyone will fair better in the end." He cajoled softly.

"EXCUSE me?!" She hissed.

"I told you, I came back for you. Alice saw you as one of us. You know it to be true. Why must things be difficult for us?" Edward growled as he backed Bella further into a corner.

"And I told YOU, Edward, I don't WANT you anymore. I made my choice and I'm happy! Isn't that what you told me to do? Be happy? Be human? Guess what! I listened, for once." Bella seethed. She slapped his hand away from her face and was rewarded with a barely audible growl.

"This has gone on for too long. I'll not allow it! You've been missed in the family. I'll be at your house this afternoon to pick you up. Carlisle and Esme will be waiting at the house. We're leaving tonight. Those mutts have become a dangerous influence on you love." Edward told her. He frowned wondering why his allure wasn't working.

Bella arched an eyebrow. "You really think I'm just going to leave? You have another thing coming if you think for one minute you can just waltz back into my life and try to decide what's best for me. News flash Edward, I'm NOT the same Bella you left last year! I've grown up, I've changed and I've come into my own. Now MOVE." She growled. With her ire up, she made the mistake of actually looking into his eyes and gasped.

Edward stared into her eyes watching the anger that danced behind her brown orbs. Her scent was beginning to overwhelm him again; it was mixed with her anger and it was sending him over the edge slowly. It was just like the first time all over again, only now there was no one around to see him slip up, no one to stop him this time- after all, one bite and she'd be his forever and there would be nothing the dogs could do about it. He could feel her blood rushing through her veins from where his fingers danced over her skin, he could smell her- the tangent blood calling to him like a siren at sea- he could hear her every palpable heart beat as she tried to control herself and the fear she was feeling in ever increasing amounts. It would be so easy. She was already enthralled- it was natural instinct, especially when he was hungry- and for her, he always was.

His lips moved closer to her neck before he was suddenly and viciously yanked backwards, away from his prey. When his vision cleared he was in front of not one, but six very pissed off wolves. Embry had the pale and limp form of Bella in his arms and Quil, Collin, Seth and Brady had encased them in a protective bubble. Jacob looked ready to kill as he advanced on him.

"I warned you leech. I told you over and over again to stay the hell away from her." Jacob hissed shoving him into a concrete wall. The janitor would have a hell of a job trying to explain how a supposedly almost brand new wall suddenly had multiple hairline fractures and cracks in it as well as missing pieces in some places.

Quil growled when he noticed how pale and cold Bella was becoming. "What the FUCK did you do to her?"

"Jake! We need to get her back to the rez. She's not waking up." Embry was almost frantic. He glared at Edward and ducked when the vampires fist made to connect with his jaw.

Edward hissed and instead connected his fist to Jacobs stomach. "She's my mate! I told her we were leaving tonight." He growled when he saw Quil rapidly talking on his phone. He'd been so caught up in the fight with Jacob that he missed most of what was said.

"Guys… come on! I called Sam. We need to leave, now! Something's not right. Bella won't wake up!" Even Quil was slightly panicked now. Jacob took note of the worry in his voice that he was trying to cover up.

"This is NOT over, tick. If anything happens to her, the treaty is off! This is the last time you come near my mate uninvited." Jacob warned.

Edward straightened himself out. "We'll see. She'll be mine in the end." He warned.

He allowed the wolves to pass by him only because he had no choice. He was outnumbered. And while they were young, they all knew how to fight. It was instinctual. Brady knocked his shoulder into Edward and slammed him into the lockers behind them, denting a few in the process- more unexplained damage for the janitors to fix. It was a subtle warning. He had inadvertently riled them up by attempting to be so controlling over Bella in such a public place.

"Embry, get in the truck and hold on to her easy. We need to get her to Sam's!" Jacob told them with no room to broke an argument- not that any of them would to begin with.

"No… wait. Jake. Take her to my grandpa! He'll know what to do." Quil told them. His wolf almost purred with his split second reasoning. Even though Sam was the alpha, Bella needed to see the shaman.

Jacob nodded and put the truck into gear. Seth, Collin and Brady opted to throw their book bags into the bed of the truck and run back. They promised to alert everyone to what was going on so that by the time they made it to Old Quil's house, the proper people would be waiting.

The ride itself seemed to take forever and in that time, Bella's core temperature had dropped to a level that had the three wolves in the cab scared almost enough to lose control and phase then and there. Jacob put his hand over Bella's, trying to coax her to stay with him. Embry tucked her tighter to him in seat and Quil started trying to rub some warmth into her arms and upper legs, needing to touch her as well to make sure she was still here. He didn't know what any of them would do if they lost her.

"Jake, man, something is wrong. It's like… her body is trying to turn into a leech." Embry almost whimpered.

"It's the thrall. He told her she'd be like him in time. Fucking leech messed with her mind again." Jacob growled.

Quil's retort was cut off as the truck was slammed into park. The doors were opened and Sam and Jared were there to take her away from him and Embry. Paul was helping to calm Jacob who was trying to punch his way through the side of Bella's poor truck. He sighed when he saw Quil's grandfather.

"Bring her inside. Let's see how strong his hold on her is this time." Old Quil almost growled, not wanting to see her turn into a living shell of herself again. It was a wonder to his grandson and the rest of the pack sometimes that he never phased.

Paul sighed. "I'm gonna stay here. If I go in there…it won't be good." He told them with a small shrug of his shoulders. He saw Bella as his family. She was hurt, and he didn't know if he'd be able to handle knowing what was wrong with her.

Jared nodded. "I'll stay out here too." He didn't want to admit that he was just as worried as Paul was. Bella was pack- the future alpha female- and she was hurt.

Quil carried Bella into a small and rarely used back room of his grandfathers house. It was dimly lit and smelled heavily of sandalwood, cedar and various other herbs that he didn't take the time to scent out. Different bowls of ceremonial pastes and oils were waiting to be used and in the middle of the floor was a palate made of deer skins and a dog fur throw. Old Quil looked like the shaman of old as he stepped into the room in buck skin pants adorned with shell necklaces and an eagle feather woven into his long grey braid. His body was painted with different patterns and colors and his aging eyes were determined.

The wolves would have been awed if not for the seriousness of the situation. Embry glanced at his pack mates and watched with apprehension as Old Quil sat lithely at Bella's head. He began praying over her body, waving burning herbs around her face and trying to purify her spirit. When he reached to hold her wrist his calm demeanor changed as he reared back his hand as if he had been scalded by boiling water. Pushing her sleeve up, he removed the large leather wrist cuff she always wore. He and the wolves bore whiteness to the blatantly obvious bite mark on the inside of her tender flesh. They all of them growled when they saw it, all of them trying to contain their anger.

"All pack members who can not handle this must leave now. I will not risk her safety." Old Quil told them sternly. He watched as one by one they filed from the room bar Quil. He promised his grandfather he'd contain his wolf. He needed to know how bad it was. It was ten minutes later that a shivering Embry just about broke the door on his way out of the house. He couldn't handle hearing one of his best friends whimpering, much less stand to think that she had been BITTEN and was going to die- the pack wouldn't survive this blow. Paul and Jared caught him and their silent question prompted him to answer.

"She's got a bite mark on her wrist. We never saw it before because she's always had it covered. Old Quil thinks its what's making her like this. The venom… it reacts to their attempts to enthrall her. She could turn just by them keeping her sedate with their allure for too long." Embry almost growled.

"Why isn't she…I mean…" Jared couldn't even say it. He watched as one by one the elders showed up. He nodded respectfully as they all milled around in the front of Quil's home.

Old Quil came out a short time later. He looked entirely too grim and for a second the pack waited on baited breath fearing that Bella was lost to them. "She's awake. He spirit fought to regain control of her body. She was bitten last year after being taken by a nomad. The Cullen's exposed her to him in a field they were near. He was destroyed and most of the venom was sucked out. What little is left will remain in her for the rest of her natural born life. Though it does weaken her marginally if she's exposed to more vampires." He sounded entirely too frail and the worry in his aging eyes was apparent.

"Weaken her how?" Billy wondered.

Old Quil sighed. "She'll change if she's exposed to their… allure as she calls it. I think that is why the spirits sent her to the wolves. They can protect her on the reservation from the parasites."

Paul growled and took off into the trees. His wolf was entirely too close to the surface and he didn't want to hurt any of the humans present. No one tried to stop him and they all joined him one by one when Seth, Collin and Brady howled. The Cullens were at the border demanding to see Bella. His wolf snarled as he raced towards his pack brother. Everything in him told him they needed to answer for how messed up his sister was.

"_Do NOT engage, Paul._" A voice in his head told him sternly.

"_So they get away with this too?! Sam, what the hell?_" Paul growled. Bella had become the closest thing to family he had ever known. And to see her in pain was almost more than he could handle- even as a wolf.

"_I understand the pain, Paul. I'm on my way. Stay with the pups. We're ALL on our way._" Sam tried to soothe him until they could reach him. It wouldn't take much for the vampires to push Paul's wolf into a fight. His pack member had been hurt and he was out for revenge.

"_Just give us a reason! You weren't there Sam! Seth and Collin… hell we were ALL insulted. I just want a piece of Edward._" Brady growled.

Edward smirked having heard it. "Aww… poor little puppy. What's the matter mutt? Are you upset that Bella will be coming home with us before it's all said and done?" He cooed.

Esme hissed at him and Carlisle just shook his head. While Alice openly laughed, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett sighed.

"_NO Brady! Do NOT- Brady! NO!_" Collin screamed in horror as Brady left the formation and charged towards the smirking vampire in front of him.

Sam and Paul arrived just in time to see Brady leap after Edward, his wolf too enraged at what he considered a blatant attack on his pack mate. The vampire in question moved in time enough to dodge and subsequently slam Brady into the ground. Before the stunned pup could fully recover, Edward had thrown him into a nearby group of trees. A high pitched whine echoed through the air before silence fell just short seconds later. Seeing their brother hurt was enough to spur Collin and Seth into action and attack as well.

The rest of the Cullens wisely stayed out of the fight. Carlisle nodded his head to Sam and placed a commanding hand on Alice's shoulder to keep her in place. It was only when Seth had his jaws around Edward's head that Sam gave an alpha command to drop him. Seth whined but obeyed.

"Now that we have that out of the way…" Carlisle sighed, "I'd like to ask how Bella is, if I may. Edward told me she fell ill."

Collin growled furiously from where he sat next to his unconscious pack mate. Edward merely chuckled. It was Seth who phased back and delivered a fist to the vampires jaw. "It was your SON who made her so sick in the first place!" Seth hissed.

Emmett glared at Edward. "What the HELL did you do you selfish son of a bitch?!"

"You're going to listen to them?!" Edward was shocked.

Collin phased and stood by Brady's side after pulling his shorts on. "He cornered her in the hallway. He was ten seconds from kissing her neck… if you get my drift." Collin sneered.

Seth spat on the ground at Edward's feet. Sam was only mildly shocked to see it. This however, wasn't the sweet natured boy but the highly incensed and very protective wolf. "If we hadn't shown up when we did, Bella would be well on her way to being dead and buried to everyone who loves her. Our pack included!" He growled.

Esme gasped. "Oh Edward. How could you?"

"You used the thrall on her again?!" Rosalie practically roared.

Edward only rolled his eyes. "She's fine."

"Tell me how she got bit." Jared said dangerously quiet. It was the first time he had spoken since he arrived and he was livid.

"She was bit?" Carlisle turned shocked wide eyes on his son.

"On her wrist." Paul hissed.

"She was bitten by James. Edward sucked the venom from her wrist in order to spare her an immortal life- one of the BEST decisions he's EVER made in regards to Bella." Jasper sighed.

Alice gasped. "Jasper! How could you say that?"

Embry growled. "Who the FUCK is James?! What the hell does he have to do with Bella, and where the HELL were you?!"

"James was a nomad… the mate to the red head we're after- Victoria. He took a personal interest in her all because Edward decided to tell him Bella was off limits. He followed her to phoenix, pretended to kidnap her mother, and convinced her that her mother would be spared if she came to him alone. Everyone who thought she flew down a set of stairs… yeah that's not even close. She was attacked by a vampire and survived it. Didn't she tell you any of this?" Rosalie asked. She noticed Carlisle and Esme had the decency to look ashamed.

"You know all of this already! How?!" Edward hissed as he watched Paul. "I see… so your shaman healed her. Pity she didn't turn." He said with a smirk knowing it would rile the wolves up.

Sam shook his head and let out a long suffering sigh as he reined in his seething pack. "She told me that you killed the redheads mate. That the redhead wants revenge now- a mate for a mate- or some such thing. She never said she was bitten by a vampire, much less attacked."

Edward smirked. "She was protecting me. You see Alice?"

"Not now, Edward!" Alice hissed. "Where is Bella? Is she ok? I want to thank her to protecting our secrets if she is able to have visitors." She said.

The wolves growled. "I assure you, I wasn't protecting you Edward! Nor was I protecting the covens secrets, Alice. I didn't want the reminder of the mess you left me in." A voice said from the trees. Those present turned to watch Bella come out of the woods on Jacob's back with Embry and Quil on either side.

"Bella! You're Ok!" Collin cried.

Seth grinned. "Chika! I'm glad you came back to us!"

"Hey guys." Bella smiled at Collin and Seth.

When they stopped, Quil phased, dressed and placed his hands around her tiny waist to help her down. "Easy does it Bells." He cajoled when she stumbled slightly.

Bella watched Jacob phase back and redress. They smiled at each other when their eyes met. The world seemed to fall apart as Jacob wrapped her into his protective arms. It was enough to make Edward hiss in rage.

"I see you're ok, Bella." Carlisle smiled.

Bella nodded. "Not 100 percent, but I'm alright for now. Old Quil said the venom spread."

"What do you mean it spread?" Esme almost cried.

Bella shook her head. "I know just what I'm told." She lied easily. "Old Quil told me I'm lucky to be alive and I have to agree with him. I'm here asking you and your family to PLEASE leave me alone. I'm happy and I've moved on. Will I miss some of you, yes, others, not so much. Just please, let me be!"

Jacob sighed trying to guard his thoughts. His anger however made it hard and it slipped to the forefront of his thoughts. They had been told that every time she was near the vampires, any time they tried to enthrall her or dazzle her in any way, the venom in her body left over from her attack would spread. If treated right, it would be fine and only be mildly cool to the wolves' touches. If left in the presence of vampires, she would surely die. He growled when he saw the look on Edward's face. He knew he had had his thoughts read.

Edward watched her with a pensive look on his face. This could work in his favor. He turned to Bella and held his hand out to her as he stared at her. "Come, Bella. You belong here, this just proves it. You're my mate after all." He frowned when she refused to make eye contact with him.

Bella scoffed. "For the LAST time, stay. away. from. me. I don't want to be with you, I don't even LIKE you. I want to have a life, I want children, I want grow old, I want to die! Why can't you UNDERSTAND that?!"

Alice looked like she wanted to cry. "Bella, you can have everything with us. We can protect you. You'll be strong enough to protect yourself. Just please, please come home!" She begged.

Bella rolled her eyes. "I AM home. With my dad, with Billy, with the pack, with my brothers, my friends. I have my boyfriend to take care of me…he makes me strong… that's ALL I want. I don't want to have to constantly look over my shoulder and wonder what kind of danger I'll be in next. That's all you have brought- misery, pain and heartache. I'm DONE with all of that!" She huffed.

The pack stood around her protectively. It was only when they shifted that Bella saw Brady laying where he had fallen. She gasped and ran to his side. "You SEE?! THIS is what happens when you're around Edward. People get hurt!"

"Isabella, I can assure you, the dog attacked me first!" Edward almost growled in irritation.

"Yes, because you're just the innocent victim in all of this." Collin bit out. His wolf was snarling, waiting for the next opportune moment to attack.

Edward smirked when Bella looked away. "I promise you, it was an unprovoked attack love. It just proves what I've been telling you all along, they are just too dangerous for you to be around."

"He was defending Bella you bloodsucking parasite!" Seth shouted with his hands balled in fists.

Jacob shook his head and looked at Sam. "This is getting us nowhere. You promised us they wouldn't be allowed near Bella. You swore to us that these two would leave her alone. If we had been just two seconds late…" He stopped talking then, still afraid of what could have happened.

Bella felt his pain as well as heard it in his words. She almost danced to his side and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her head was on his chest above his heart. "It's ok Jake. I'm still here because of you. You saved me. The pack saved me."

"Always Bells." Jacob whispered. "Always."

Edward hissed in irritation. "This is insane. Carlisle please! Do something! We need to leave with Bella, now. Victoria will be here in three weeks-"

"What?!" Sam growled. "When were you going to tell us?!"

Bella watched the way Edward sneered at Sam and gasped. "Oh Edward, how could you?!"

"What is it Bella?" Paul wondered.

She almost growled. "Have you sunk THAT low?!"

The Cullen's and the pack all looked back and forth between Edward and Bella to see who would break the staring contest first. Edward sighed and shook his head with his eyes closed to hide his irritation. His plan would have worked perfectly if it hadn't been for Bella being here now. He had no intentions of telling anyone what Alice had seen in her latest vision the last night he had seen Bella on her front lawn.

For two days he had known that Victoria planned to hit them with the newborns and Laurent, and while they were distracted, his plan was to take Bella and run. He now watched as those around him- vampire and werewolf- waited for an answer. He merely shook his head again. This was NOT looking good for him.

"It was for the best, love." He tried.

Bella stared at him in shock. "You KNEW and you thought it was for the best?! You KNEW that my friends- my family- could be killed and you told NOONE?! Have you no SHAME?! And what about Alice?! She had to have had the vision! Didn't you think I had the right to know?!"

"They are NOT your family! We are! You are meant to be with US! Stop this foolishness and come home! This is where you belong, at MY side! Not with that mongrel! That DOG is NOT your brother, nor will he EVER be- thank goodness for that!" Edward snapped. His patience for her delusions was gone.

Bella arched an eyebrow. He had obviously made a few fatal errors in judgment with those statements. Even Alice knew Edward had crossed the line. Bella was nothing if not loyal to those she considered family and friends. "Bella, I'm sure he didn't-"

"Oh shut UP you little pixie! I'm so sick of this. You have a mate! Stick up for HIM, not Edward." Rosalie hissed. In a bold move, she walked across the proverbial treaty line and stood in front of Bella. She dared the wolves to attack her with a single arched eyebrow.

"Rose?" Emmett was hesitant to move, afraid of the wolves' reaction.

Bella smiled unsure of what was going on. "Hi Rosalie."

"Bella… I'll stand with you. I'll stand by you. I'll protect you from EVERYTHING for as long as you want me to. I'm so happy that you've chosen to live for yourself. You're happy with the mu- with your wolf… so I'll protect that happiness. Even from my own coven." She vowed.

Bella's eyes welled with tears as Jasper and Emmett moved to stand on either side of Rosalie. She knew just how much family meant to each of them, and to go against their coven was not something to be taken lightly. She looked to Sam, Jacob and Paul with a small smile before hugging each one of them tightly.

Paul shook his head. He tried his hardest to find something to say, some way to insult them for what they had done. But instead, he found himself feeling something akin to a very small ounce of respect. They had walked away from their coven for Bella- his sister- in order to keep her safe.

"Jasper?" Alice questioned.

Jasper sighed and closed his eyes. "You can't know what I know. I've felt Bella's emotions around her Jacob. She has the ability to love whole heartedly- a gift if you will. Her entire being is filled with that love whenever he is around. When he's not, it's still there, if not just slightly dimmer. She never felt that with Edward. I told you. She's not it for Edward. You saw what you wanted to see Alice. She's not meant to live for eternity. She's meant to share but one lifetime on this earth. And that lifetime will be with the man she loves- Jacob." He shrugged.

"It's not true!" Edward said quietly.

Carlisle sighed. So much drama had unfolded in such a short amount of time since they had come back. He had done nothing to stop this. Edward had taken too many liberties with Bella. Had he not interfered, Bella would have never known heartache. She would not be hunted right now. With a heavy heart, he took one last glance at his first son and walked towards his three children already in front of Bella. It wasn't long- mere seconds- before he felt Esme at his side.

"Carlisle… but… not you too." Alice gasped quietly.

"This can't go on. I will work with the wolves, show them how to fight the newborns. And after that, I will make sure no one else gets hurt by my coven again." He promised.

Sam watched on in wonder. His feeling of awe was cut short as Edward made a lunge for Bella. She had moved to check on Brady again now that he was starting to stir. Panic and horror filled him as he watched Edward closing in on her. Just before his cold fingers could wrap themselves around her arm, Sam witnessed the entire Cullen coven pin Edward to the ground.

Collin had both Brady and Bella safely behind him and the wolves sighed in relief. Bella only shook her head. "I told you Edward… it wasn't meant to be."

Edward growled, his eyes black with his anger. "This is NOT over yet, Isabella. You will be mine. There is nothing else for you!" He seethed.

Jacob growled in the back of his throat and moved to stand in front of Bella and Brady. With just one touch from the lithe brunette at his side, the growls subsided slightly. "It IS over, leech. Bella has made it clear that she doesn't want you back. Now, you have a choice to make. Either you help us against the red head, or you and the pixie leave now and don't bother coming back. If I see you two near Bella again when she's not with at least one other wolf, treaty be damned, I'll kill you myself." He said, his voice full of the authority granted him through his bloodline.

Alice was full of resentment in that moment. The wolves, she felt, had stolen Bella from her and her family. "Bella, please… you have to know that we all love you. You can have an amazing life with us." She started.

Bella sighed and turned to the ebony haired girl. "I know that Alice. I know you do… but…what you have... it's not life. You're frozen in time." She gave Rosalie a small smile. "The wolves are my family now. Maybe if things had happened differently… maybe it was a passing chance. But I'm grateful that I have the wolves in my life. They're my choice. They're my path to follow." She said gently.

With a small sigh Bella helped Brady gingerly to his feet and when they were ready and plans were made to meet in a special clearing, she left with them back to Jacob's house. 


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer:  
All characters and known situations belong to their respective owners. Everything else came from my own mind- scary place that it is sometimes. In no way shape or form have I made or intended to make a profit from this story…. All rights still belong to Stephanie… though it's a shame she never did anything more with the wolves… ah well.. There's always fan fiction

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
Chapter 7

Alice broke down and told both the wolf pack and her coven that Victoria had made three newborns two days after the confrontation between Edward and Brady. She told them Victoria was also traveling with Laurent who- while he didn't want revenge for James in the way Victoria did- was looking for a fight all the same. He felt it was wrong that the Cullen's had gone against them, that they should have helped James kill Bella when they had come through in the first place.

Edward felt betrayed in the worst way possible. Bella was meant to be his and his family was protecting her from him- of all people. He couldn't understand why Bella would refuse him the way she had. He just didn't understand why she would choose to tie herself to a wolf. The reservation riff raff could offer her nothing- he could give her the world if she so wanted it.

He sighed and watched her laughing with her friends at the lunch table in the cafeteria. It had been three days since Alice had told the mutts what Victoria had planned. It was a full week since he had yet again demanded that Bella be turned over to him so she would come to her senses. He was trying to find a way to get her alone and push his luck yet again with the thrall. It was his only hope of having her at his side like she was meant to be. So lost was he in his inner schemes that he almost missed Alice's vision. He saw his future literally fade to nothing. To say that he was shocked, awed and a little afraid was the least of his feelings.

"What does the vision mean Alice?" He hissed low enough that the humans in the room couldn't hear him. He didn't take into account the wolves were listening with one ear, even while laughing and joking with Bella at the same time.

"She's going to choose him. Victoria will die by Jacob's hand and Bella will stay with the wolves." Alice said with resignation.

"No! she'll see that we're the better choice!" Edward hissed.

Alice shook her head. "You saw what I did. If you go after her, you die. Please, Edward, don't be so disillusioned that you risk your very life. We can't help you if you take her."

"Then don't help. Bella WILL be mine. I just have to make her see it." Edward said with steel determination in his voice. Brady looked to his pack mates and rolled his eyes. They had heard the rantings and ravings of the lunatic every time they had seen him thus far.

"You guys ok?" Bella asked. She had noticed their lack of attention.

Brady nodded. "Yeah… pixie said something funny and now the tick is pissed." He shrugged.

"Language!" Bella scolded playfully and laughed when he looked away chastised.

Jacob smirked. His chosen mate kept the pack in line just as she was always meant to. "That's my girl." He chuckled in her ear. He grinned when she blushed.

"Sorry Bella. I know you like them… but…" Brady stopped short when he saw her raised eyebrow. "You don't like them?"

"Not those two…no. They're not family to me. Family doesn't do what they tried to do. What they've BEEN trying to do! Family is meant to protect one another." Bella knew they could hear her and inwardly smirked when she saw Edward ball his hands into fists from the corner of her eye.

"Hey… so… to change the subject… its Friday night. Movie night at Bella's house?" Quil suggested.

Bella grinned. "Yeah, I don't think my dad would mind. Maybe he could stay with Billy. They're going fishing tomorrow still, right Jake?" She asked.

"As far as I know yeah. Are you sure he'd be ok with us being there all night alone?" He teased.

"So invite the rest of the pack and the imprints too. Tell my dad it's been a rough week and we want to relax a little?" Bella suggested.

Embry shook his head. "You need to stop hanging out with Paul and Jared. You're getting better at telling little white lies Bella bean." He teased.

"Paul will be so proud." Quil teased.

Bella rolled her eyes and threw a carrot stick at Quil's head. She shook her own head in amusement when he caught it in his mouth. "You like eating sticks don't you Quil." She laughed openly at the shocked look on his face.

Jacob and Embry chuckled. "Yeah. You've been around the pack too long."

"I have my moments." Bella shrugged.

Seth rolled his eyes. "You're as bad as Leah I swear!" Collin and Brady readily shook their heads in agreement. They all smirked as the Bella rang interrupting whatever it was that Bella was going to say.

Jacob sighed and walked with her to her next class- Latin IV. "I don't want to leave you." He pouted.

"Aw. Is the big bad wolf gonna miss his girlfriend?" She teased before laughing quietly.

"Not cool Bells. But I'll have you know I ALWAYS miss you when I'm not near you." He leaned in closer to kiss her cheek. "My wolf misses you too, you know." He admitted.

Bella smiled. "Well, both you AND your wolf are more than welcome to come home with me today after school. Dad will still be at work. And the house will be quiet." She hinted as she dragged her fingertip teasingly down his chest.

Jacob growled under his breath. "Don't start something we can't finish here and now Bells. That's cruel and unusual punishment, even for you." He huffed.

"Alright. Alright. Go to class Jake. I'll see you after school." she promised.

Jacob grinned. "I can't wait." He all but purred.

Bella made her way into the classroom and sat in the back of the class with a smile firmly in place on her lips. Not even Jessica or Lauren could turn her smile into a frown at the moment. Angela brought her out of her happy bubble when she poked her in the side. She smiled and asked her again if everything was alright.

"I'm alright Angie. I think I'm actually better than alright." She said with a grin. As a matter of fact, I'm having a movie night tonight with a few friends, why don't you come over too?"

Angela smiled. "I would, but Ben and I are going out tonight. We should do something next week though. I'm glad that you're happy again Bella. I didn't like seeing what Edward had done to you." She said honestly.

Bella smiled and nodded before their attention was called back to the fore of the classroom by their teacher. The rest of her afternoon classes went as smoothly as her Latin class did. By the time she reached her truck, she was well and ready to leave. She was stopped short however when she heard her name being called. When she turned around, she almost wished she had kept walking. Jessica and Lauren were on the prowl and it seemed for the moment Bella was the most opportune prey.

"So Bella. I heard that you're having a party tonight." Jessica said while looking at her nails. "Were you not going to invite us?"

"Hmm… let me think… no. Not that there's a party in the first place. I invited a few friends over to watch a couple movies that's it. And before you ask, no, you're NOT invited." Bella sneered.

Lauren scoffed. "You have friends? I'm shocked."

Bella inhaled and counted to ten in her head to try and quell her growing temper. "Look… as LOVELY as our little chat has been… I DO have someone waiting for me. My boyfriend doesn't like to be kept waiting. If you'll excuse me." She said before turning on her heel to head towards her truck.

She stopped short when she heard the whispers from behind her back. "She doesn't really have a boyfriend. I bet she's just doing his homework for him. He looks to good to want her." Good old Lauren. Bella thought dryly.

"How much do you want to bet he's just using her for sex?" Jessica sneered.

"Not even close. Last time I checked she's still a virgin." The male voice shocked her. Then again, Mike had been trying to get into her pants for a long time only to fail at every attempt. It was no wonder he'd be an instigator for rumors spread behind her back.

She reached Jacob and sighed as she all but fell into his arms. She pulled his lips down to hers and groaned when she felt his hands snake their way around her waist. They were broken apart by wolf whistles and cat calls from their friends. Bella merely rolled her eyes and told them to find their own girls to harass.

Quil grinned. "Yeah, you're a wolf girl alright. All feisty and just… yeah… hi Jake." He snickered when his friend leveled a glare in his direction. "So… anyways… are we still on for tonight?"

"Yeah… just… don't come over for an hour or two. I need to clean." Bella told them.

Embry shook his head. "I think you must have the cleanest house in all of Forks, Bella. That's all you do is clean." He teased.

She shrugged. "Yeah, well… I have a great many years to make up for." She sniffed.

They shook their heads and hopped into their cars. It was a short drive later that found Bella parked in front of her house with her lips locked firmly against Jacob's. He grinned and pulled her closer to him across the bench seat with one hand as the other fumbled with the door handle. When the door was opened, he got them both out of the truck without breaking the kiss. If any of her neighbors were present, Bella would be in for an earful later when Charlie got home. Now, however, all she was worried about was that she couldn't get enough of the gorgeous wolf in front of her.

The door was closed behind them after they finally made it into the house after fumbling with house keys and door locks. Jacob moaned deep within his chest when he felt Bella's nails rake across the skin of his back through the thin material of his tight shirt. He tore his lips from hers in order to gasp in the air his lungs so desperately screamed for. With the door firmly locked once again, he walked them both to the couch and fell down across the cushions. Bella giggled when she was pulled on top of him.

"Wanna know a secret Jake?" Bella purred seductively into his ear.

His lips were wet with the tip of his tongue before his teeth assaulted the bottom one between them. "Tell me." He whispered.

Bella moved to straddle his waist, sitting up so she could stare down at his body. "I've been thinking about you all afternoon. Ever since I told you we'd have the house to ourselves for a few hours. Wanna know what I was thinking about?" She asked as she ground their hips together slowly.

Jacob gasped and moved his hands to the waistband of her jeans. "Tell me. Please." He all but whimpered quietly. If the pack saw him here and now, he'd never live the moment down.

"I want to feel your hands on my skin." She purred. Her eyes dilated when she felt his fingertips barely brushing the skin under the hem of her shirt. "I want to see your face when you see my body. Wanna feel you under me. I want you to claim me Jake." She barely whispered the last sentence before she suddenly found herself on the floor pinned under the weight of a very riled and very dominant male wolf. She shivered as she stared up at him.

"You're playing with fire Bella." The deep timber of his voice coupled with the already husky lust filled whisper only added to her state of arousal. Jacob ran the tip of his nose up the column of her neck, pausing to nip gently at a particularly sensitive spot.

Bella's hips rose to meet his and she moaned under him. "So don't let me get burned Jake! But please, don't tease me either." She whined.

Jacob grinned and slowly peeled her shirt from her body. Laying beneath him in a black and pink lace bra, she had never looked more sensual to him. His fingers ghosted up her lightly toned torso on the way to her breasts. He had to thank the pack mind- in particular Paul- yet again for never censoring each others thoughts. He watched her face as he slowly moved to the front clasp of her bra and hesitated until she gave a small nod of approval.

"Bells… you're so damn sexy!" He groaned.

Bella fought the urge to cover herself with her arms. No other guy had ever seen her like this. Even Edward had frowned upon anything to do with seeing her in more than a tee shirt and jeans. Her self doubt fell out of the window when Jacob's lips landed on her already hardened nipple. His fingers tweaked and rolled the other one as she moaned softly in pleasure.

"Jake…" She didn't know exactly what she was asking him for, all she knew was that she wanted whatever it was he was offering- including himself.

Before they could take it any further, the door was being shouldered open by an angry mob of wolves, each of them snarling and snapping. It was all Bella could do to squeak in shock before Jacob had a blanket thrown over her body. He turned on his pack and glared.

"What the fuck?!" He hissed to them.

Paul sighed. "Sorry man. Seth said he heard something in the house… other than the two of you." He told them while avoiding looking at Bella. He really didn't want to piss Jacob's wolf off anymore than he already was.

"I'm guessing you two were lost in each other. It reeks of pheromones down here. Collin said he thought he saw someone climbing out of Bella's window a little while ago. When he looked back though, it was gone so he thought he was seeing things." Embry added apologetically.

Jacob sighed. "Turn around guys. Let Bella get dressed and we'll go check it out." He stood and helped Bella throw her bra and shirt back on, kissing her forehead when she was finished. Together, they walked up the stairs with Bella tucked in the middle of them.

"Bells, let us know if anything is out of place." Quil told her lightly. He was trying to keep the stress down with a friendly smile, but she could see the worry in his eyes.

A cursory look around the room told her nothing had been taken that would be immediately missed. As she moved her gaze over her dresser, she frowned. A diamond tiara, a silver necklace, a jeweled ring and a diamond heart charm bracelet were sitting in the center. She walked towards it and shuddered when she saw what they were sitting on. Printed onto two thick card stock pieces of paper were a picture of her face and one of her left hand and wrist, and each item was perfectly placed on top. For you my love, for eternity. was written in the uppermost corner. She gasped.

"Bella?" Embry hedged into the room and looked over her shoulder. "Oh damn. Ok, come on honey. Let's all go back downstairs, ok? We can have the pack over and watch a movie before we go to meet for the first training session." He cajoled her now trembling form.

Bella was down the stairs and in Jacob's lap surrounded by her friends no less than 30 minutes later. Each of the wolves had taken the time to look at the pictures before they were destroyed. Bella told them she would pawn the offending items and then use the money to help those on the reservation- it would be a surefire way to upset the vampire intent on controlling her for eternity.

Jacob sat quietly seething. It was getting harder and harder to ignore every last trespass of the leech against his mate. He was trying hard to do right by his father and honor the treaty set down by his great grandfather, but it was damn hard. His kissed Bella's temple as she curled into his comforting heat. In light of the strained atmosphere, Kim had brought over a random comedy movie from her vast collection of DVD's.

For the next two hours every member of the pack was in and out of the Swan household as patrol shifts changed while the wolf girls sat with their respective wolves. Jacob rarely left Bella's side unless it was to go to the bathroom or quickly refill their drinks. His wolf was still incensed that a leech had snuck in while they had been so caught up in their mate downstairs. Sam's throat being cleared brought him from his dangerous and angry thoughts. Without a word, the pack began cleaning up, righting the furniture that had been pushed around to accommodate their large bodies.

It was agreed that Bella would stay with Emily and Kim at Leah's house. After all, there was no better place for her to be than on the reservation. She grabbed her back from the hallway and waited while the last of the dishes were place back in their respective places. She grinned when Jacob wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned down to nuzzle her neck while they waited.

"How are you holding up Jake?" She asked quietly.

Jacob sighed. That was a loaded question. "It's getting hard to abide by the treaty Bells. My wolf just doesn't understand how I still have this much control of my anger. But I don't want to start something with the Cullens and still have to worry about the red headed tick after you too. Believe me. Once this is over, you and I are going on a very much needed vacation." He promised her.

Bella turned in his arms and sighed. "I know its rough on you. You and your wolf both. I know your doing the right thing in waiting to put Edward in his place. But I also don't want him to think you're weak because of it. I don't want him to think he has a chance in hell of winning me back at all." She admitted.

He moved a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled sweetly down at her. "Don't worry about that. Everything will work out like it's supposed to. We're meeting with them tonight. They're going to tell us everything we need to know to take these bloodsuckers down and when I get back, you're coming home with me and not leaving my bed." He grinned cheekily.

Bella giggled quietly. "Is that right? Someone has things all planned out." She teased.

Jacob smirked. "And someone is ready to claim his mate." He whispered hotly in her ear.

She gasped when his heated breath danced over the skin of her cheek. A serene smile graced her lips as her eyes closed in concentration of the feel of his skin on hers. "Hurry back baby." She teased.

"To you? Always." it was a promise he would keep.

Sam rolled his eyes and turned to Bella when she walked out of the house finally. "Took you two long enough." He teased causing the other wolves to snicker.

Jacob rolled his eyes and helped her into the cab before capturing her lips with his in a deliciously demanding kiss that almost literally stole her breath. The pack as a whole merely rolled their eyes. Emily and Kim stared opened mouthed, not as used to the acts of dominance. They shook their heads and climbed into Kim's SUV. Sam and Jared kissed their respective mates lips before stepping back to let the car back out of the driveway.

Bella's beast of a truck roared to life erasing the quiet that surrounded the wolves still in her yard. She waved to Jacob before backing out of the drive shortly after Kim had. When the wolves were sure they were safely on their way to the reservation they took off towards the clearing. They were comforted when they heard Brady and Collin say they would run along side the cars the entire way to the treaty line. If anything tried to get them, the pups would give who ever it was hell before anything would happen to the girls.

Jasper's head cocked to the side as he felt waves of worry wash over three of the ten wolves present. He watched patiently as Sam collected himself and transformed back. It still awed him to see it happen at all that way. "Thank you for coming." He finally said.

Sam nodded. "My wolves are going to stay phased unless it's proven that they need to be in their human skin." He told him firmly.

Jasper nodded. "It's understandable. Alright then. Let's get started, shall we?"

For three hours the pack watched, listened and learned what they needed to know about a vampires weak spots and how fast they were able to move as newborns. Jasper told them also that if a vampire's limbs were torn from its body and not burned, they could reattach themselves. However, if a limb was torn from the body and burned, a new one would grow back eventually, taking about a year to completely reform. Sam shuddered. It sounded too much like something from a science fiction movie.

By the time they were finished, Jacob was itching to see and hold Bella. He raced everyone back to the reservation and went directly to the Clearwater's back yard. With a sigh, he pulled on his cutoffs, nodded to Seth and made his way inside. Without preamble, he gathered Bella's bag and then made his way upstairs to the guest bedroom. He stopped her just before she could climb into the bed, swept her off of her feet with one hand on her upper back and the other under her knees, and walked out the back door.

"Jake? What's going on?" She asked as he walked a well worn path to his house.

Jacob grinned. "I told you. You're not leaving my bed tonight." He said smugly.

"If you insist." She said tiredly. She barely acknowledged being placed in his bed, much less falling asleep wrapped in his arms after his shower. All she knew, was he had kept his word to her and come back to claim the mate his wolf saw as his. It would be a long day tomorrow, but for now, she was content to just sleep in the arms of her boyfriend. 


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer:  
All characters and known situations belong to their respective owners. Everything else came from my own mind- scary place that it is sometimes. In no way shape or form have I made or intended to make a profit from this story…. All rights still belong to Stephanie… though it's a shame she never did anything more with the wolves… ah well.. There's always fan fiction

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
Chapter 8

Bella sighed in ill hidden relief when she heard the final bell ring. School had been hellacious- not due in part to it being Monday- simply because Jessica and Lauren had been their typical selves. Rumors abounded now about Bella. She was only too happy to leave. She was a great many things- smart, loyal, loving, responsible- but a slut, whore, and pregnant she was not.

She made her way down the hallways to her locker meeting those students brave enough to stare her way with an indifferent glare. Those who were a little more curious and tried to approach her were met with an arched eyebrow and were sent quickly scurrying back from wince they had come. Beside her, a puffy eyed Angela was already placing text books into her book bag.

"Angela, hey. Are you… what's wrong?" Bella asked with a frown of worry creasing her brow.

Angela smiled shyly and shook her head minutely. "It's nothing serious. I'll be alright tomorrow." She said trying not to burden Bella with her problems.

Bella was having none of it. "Angie… you were there for me after I went just a slight bit crazy over my idiot ex. I know something is wrong. You've got tears in your eyes. Please. Let me help?" She asked.

Angela sighed. "Ben broke up with me. He's moving away now that his parents are getting a divorce. He doesn't want to try a long distance relationship regardless of the plans we made to go to college together. I mean… this is our last year.. And he doesn't even want to stay together until we're in college." She said before her lower lip began to quiver.

Bella smiled. "Oh Angie. I'm so sorry. You know what! You should come over tonight!" Bella insisted.

Angela smiled. "I don't want to impose Bella. I'm sure you have plans already." She told her.

"You won't impose! We can watch sappy romance movies and get fat eating ice cream!" She said with a grin. "I'll even invite my two friends Emily and Kim from the reservation. They're both really sweet girls and I think you would like them." She said ignoring the feeling that someone was watching her. She mused that it was someone from the pack.

Angela agreed after some hesitance. "If you're completely sure?"

"Of course! Now. Can you do me a favor. This might come off as a little odd, but the hairs on the back of my neck are standing on end. Is there someone behind us?" She asked noticing how empty the hallway now was.

Angela subtly peered over Bella's shoulder and nodded her head quickly, her eyes wide. "It's Edward. He looks really upset. Should I stay here?"

Bella pulled her cell phone from her pocket and opened the text message screen. Adding in the contacts for the pack members at school, she sent out an S.O.S followed shortly by her location. "Just wait here. I'll talk to him then we can leave, ok?"

Angela nodded her head and smiled. Bella sighed and squared her shoulders. When she turned around, she schooled her face into a carefully void mask. She almost wished Jacob would break the treaty just so she could watch with pop corn in her hands as her wolf gave her ex boyfriend the beating he well and truly deserved. She was careful to look over his shoulders while pretending to look at him. Inwardly, she patted herself on her back for her efforts.

"Bella." It was said for Angela's benefit no doubt. "Can I talk to you alone for a moment?" Edward asked her politely.

Bella glared. "One minute. Angela and I have plans for this afternoon." She told him.

Edward nodded. "I'll be brief." He said moving out of Angela's hearing range.

"What do you want now Edward?" Bella huffed in annoyance. "Haven't you learned your lesson yet? The pack doesn't like you. I don't like you. Hell, my boyfriend doesn't even like you."

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. "Isabella. You've been really rather difficult. All you had to do was simply stay away from the dogs. It's a wonder their tempers haven't done you some kind of damage by now." He said as if he were scolding a toddler.

Bella's ire was rising swiftly. "What. Do. You. Want?" She hissed.

"What do you know of the Volturi?" He asked completely catching her off guard.

Bella reeled back in surprise. "Only what Carlisle has told me. Three leaders who have a large guard of gifted vampires to protect them. One goal in mind. Protect vampires from human knowledge. It's their one rule." She shrugged. "I don't understand what that has to do with me." She told him.

"It will please me to tell you this then. Of the three- Aro can read a vampires every thought with a single touch. Marcus can sense relationships between two individuals. But it's Caius who I want to tell you about now. You see, he's rather… afraid -if you will- of werewolves. He was attacked by one in his early days. It almost killed him, but he survived. Since then he's made it his mission to hunt and destroy each and every last one." Edward told her.

A stab of icy cold fear blossomed within Bella's gut for the pack. Edward closed his eyes and inhaled through his mouth. Her fear was a tangible substance that he craved at the moment. The sound of the blood coursing through her veins was palpable. The heady aromatic cocktail of fear, anger and adrenaline was almost too intoxicating to him. He reined in the animal within himself so he could tell her what needed to be said.

"Imagine what would happen to your precious pack, sweet Isabella, if I were to travel back to the Volturi with news that you had survived and were being held by these…wolves. Forced to think you are the mate to one. How easy Caius would rally to my aide." He all but purred.

Bella gasped. She couldn't believe he would even suggest something so horrendous. "Do you really think this will win me over?" She finally asked.

"It would. In time. You would be free of the hold those dogs have on you. You would be mine again. I wouldn't hesitate to turn you then. I would regret it for a short while. The pain… its excruciating. But an eternity with you by my side would more than make up for it."

Bella shook her head. "You're so delusional. You think that just because you come and corner me while Angela watches that I'll cave to your every whim. But guess what Edward? That Bella is long dead and gone. Now let me tell you a few things I know to be true. You can scare me into thinking that the wolves are threatened by this… Caius. You can try to tell me that you'll run to him to help you in your fight to win back your mate. But you're missing one single very important detail in your little plan, Edward."

"And what would that be, Isabella?" Edward sighed. He was tired of her attitude. The first thing he would do after she was turned was to make sure that she knew her place. He'd deny her a drop of blood until she was back under his influence.

Bella smirked. Not only did she know that while their entire conversation had taken place in a matter of mere moments- no more than five- and the pack was now on their way to her, she also knew that Edward was bluffing. She could see it in his eyes. She knew in her gut, he'd not go back to Italy.

"You're bluffing Edward. You wouldn't be able to leave me if you tried to. The inner demon you think wants to claim me for his own refused to see reason and walk away when the getting is good. And you're time to talk is up." She said with a smirk before walking back over to Angela.

Before Edward could say another word, six very angry wolves stalked forward to protect the girls. He looked at a smirking Bella as she waved her phone in front of her. Her eyebrow was arched in challenge and her stance was entirely too defiant. He sighed and quelled his temper. His hands were held up in front of him as he backed away slowly.

"Think about what I said, Isabella." He told her before walking away. Inside he was livid.

Bella let out a sigh of relief when he was gone. "I need to talk to his dad about his behavior." She growled.

Jacob nodded. It was a code for them needing to speak to Carlisle about something Edward had said. "You two ok?" He asked.

Angela smiled. "I'm alright. Bella looked like she was going to feint at first. But then she looked like she wanted to knock his head off. You ok Bella?" She asked.

Bella nodded. "I'm alright. He's just an ass. I don't know what I ever saw in him. Anyways. Angela, let me formerly introduce you to the biggest group of loyal idiots you'll ever find." She grinned.

A chorus of "Hey" met the girls ears. Bella giggled. "Ok, so there's Jacob. He's mine and completely off limits. Then you have Seth Clearwater, Collin Littlesea and Brady Fuller. They're all two years younger than us if you can believe it." She snickered when Angela's eyes went wide.

"Next to Brady is Quil Ateara. He's a huge child. Him and your twin brothers would get alone wonderfully." Bella told her dryly.

Angela giggled. "Don't be so mean Bella. I'm sure he's not that bad."

"Angie… he jumped off of a two story building roof into a pool just to say he could fly." She told him dryly.

Angela bit her lip and nodded her head. She giggled when Quil huffed. "There's nothing wrong with being an adrenaline junkie!" He sniffed.

Bella rolled her eyes. "And last but definitely not least is Embry Call. Don't not take him being quiet for him being shy. He's really sneaky and too clever for his own good sometimes." She said.

They watched her appraisal of him, each of them smirking when they saw her mouth slowly drop open. For his part, Embry stood quiet until she raised her eyes to meet his. Just like that, everything else faded away for the two of them. Their eyes were locked in a staring contest that neither felt overly inclined to break. A content rumble escaped from Embry's chest as he stared at his mate.

Bella hugged Angela at the same time Jacob and the other wolves all clapped Embry on the back. Their trance was broken. Angela looked away and blushed and Embry gave her a shy grin. "Well then. Come on Angela. I need to call Emily and Kim and see if they can make it over. If not I'm sure the guys wouldn't mind chilling with us for a few hours before they go off to work."

Jacob shook his head. Bella was good. "What's going on?" He wondered.

Angela sighed and looked down. Bella hugged her, offering her a shoulder to lean on. "Ben broke up with her today. I told her she could come over to mine so she didn't have to be alone."

"Sure. We can come with you. I'll send a message to Jared and Sam and ask them to get a hold of Emily and Kim for you." Embry said quickly.

Bella smirked. "Thanks Em." She said as they walked out of the front doors of the school and towards their cars.

The ride home was quiet as each girl sat lost in her own thoughts. Bella was thinking about every word of the brief conversation she had had with Edward at school. She knew deep down that he wouldn't leave her to go see the Volturi. He didn't want to involve them in his personal life. With a sigh, she pulled into her driveway and turned the engine off. Jacob's rabbit and Harry's -now Seth's- white ford F-150 pulled in behind her.

"Sam and Jared said they'd come over with the girls. Paul and Leah are working already." Quil said.

Bella nodded her head. Paul and Leah were on patrol in other words. All the better. Angela didn't need to meet the two most volatile wolves of the pack just yet. While Bella may have found a way to take them, no one outside of their small circle had done the impossible just yet. Bella rolled her eyes and ushered everyone inside when the front door was unlocked. She busied herself in the kitchen after demanding Angela pick a movie out.

Jacob wrapped his arms around her and placed a kiss to the back of her neck while she was busy making a pitcher of sweet tea. "Are you ok? Really?"

"Yeah. He didn't try to enthrall me. He actually tried to threaten the pack. He told me about the Volturi. Supposedly they are vampire royalty. One of them hates werewolves. He hunted them to almost full extinction. Edward said he would go to him and tell him he learned that I was alive but that I was being held against my will and being forced to think you were my mate." She huffed.

Jacob shook his head. "I'm sorry honey. I should have been there. But… that's the other thing. Quil imprinted too. He told us about it while we were in the parking lot. Her name is Nicole Bowen."

Bella turned around in his arms with a smile on her face. "I bet he's not too happy. He was all set to follow in Paul's footsteps." She snickered knowing full well all the wolves in the house could hear them.

"Yeah, well… he'd never made eye contact with her before today. She's really sweet. She's a lot like you actually. We all share the same English class. We're having a bonfire this weekend for her. You should bring Angela too." He told her picking up the three large bowls of popcorn.

Bella placed the pitcher of tea and glasses onto a tray and carried it all into the living room. Jacob followed her and got settled on the couch. "So what are we watching Angela?" She asked.

"I was thinking of the Notebook. But then the guys all came over. So I put in Fast and Furious. It's something that Ben never likes. And I like the cars." She said with a shrug.

Bella grinned. "Awesome." She snickered when her friends all nodded in agreement.

Half way through the movie, Bella felt Jacob's hand moving down her side to her upper thigh. She glanced over at him and shifted around in her seat briefly. He was playing with fire. She rolled her eyes when he merely grinned. When his hand began traveling closer to the heat between her legs, she closed her legs tightly, trapping his wandering fingers between her thighs.

"Come with me." He whispered before standing and heading outside. The wolves all knew better than to follow. Even if he didn't show it, they knew how close to the surface his wolf still was highly incensed over Edward confronting Bella again.

Angela arched an eyebrow at Bella. "Is he ok?"

"I think he's still upset that Edward won't leave me alone. He knows it bugs me. And he wasn't there today to buffer anything that was said between us. I'm gonna go talk to him." Bella said before throwing a pillow at Quil. She smirked when he pouted. He knew what would more than likely happen- they all did.

Once she was out the door, Jacob had her in his arms. She was partially right. He had been worrying about Edward. But the racy scenes in the movie had his mind wandering and his wolf begging to claim her then and there. He crashed his lips to hers before she could ask him what was wrong. When he let her up for air their eyes were dilated with lust and need.

Bella stepped away from him and held her hand out to him. "Come on. I wanna show you something." She whispered.

Jacob followed her to the back of her house where a wooden shed stood sentinel. With an eyebrow raised in question, he watched her walk over to the shed and open the door. Both eyes raised to his hairline as he saw inside. Bella had been a busy little beaver it seemed. Gone was the clutter. There on the floor was an old mattress with fresh sheets over top of it. Next to the mattress was a box of condoms. Even though she was on birth control, she didn't want to take a chance just yet. Jacob grinned.

"I found the mattress when I was out here cleaning the other day. I just moved all the boxes that were in here to the garage for right now. I guess… with the pack in and out of here so much. This is a place for us. For night now. Just somewhere we can hang out and talk without too much interference.

"It's awesome Bells. It's not the Taj, but it's ours. Now come here." He grinned when she sauntered over to him. "Stay here for a few minutes. I want you to see something."

Jacob grinned. "Sure honey." He agreed.

Bella made her way into the shed and made quick work of the clothes she was wearing. She pulled the sheer babydoll teddy from her book bag and placed it on quickly. When she was ready, she lay down on the mattress, her body propped up on her elbows. The pose was seductive and sexy.

"Jake?" He heard her and grinned. When the door was opened he stopped and stared openly, his eyes raking down her scantily clad body. He nearly purred as he crawled onto the bed and over her body slowly. As he advanced on her, he forced her to lie prone again, watching the lust growing in her chocolate eyes.

Bella worried her bottom lip as she watched the wolf in him rise to the surface to almost completely shut the human part of him out. She allowed herself to be coaxed back against the cool cotton sheets that covered the mattress by his larger than life form. Her breath hitched slightly when she felt his teeth graze over the juncture of her neck and shoulder.

"Right there, my gorgeous mate. That's where you'll carry my mark until the day we leave this life." He all but purred.

"Jake…" It was a breathless whisper, but the way it was said, in that way- in that voice- sent shivers of lust through Jacob's body.

"Bella." He nearly hissed when her hands found their way shyly under his shirt. His lips crashed into hers, eliciting a low and approving groan from her.

The thin babydoll teddy she was wearing did little to hide her shapely form from Jacob's lusty gaze. The sheer material only added to his excitement as he stared down at her. He groaned close to her ear when he felt her shift under him, their bodies touching briefly. He felt her breath against his skin as his hands behind tracing a path up her body, reaching her thighs and then bringing the night gown along with them.

He kissed the newly exposed skin, taking the same path his hands had shortly before. His wolf was almost purring in his chest at the scent of his mates arousal. The sounds she was making were almost enough to drive him over the cliff of bliss alone. When Jacob stopped at her wrist and stared at her scar, Bella felt hot tears of shame pricking at her eyes. She bit her lip and closed her eyes tightly trying to shut the pain away. She started to sit up, pushing him away as she turned her head, trying to hide the tears that had fallen down her cheeks. She was stopped gently Jacob's thumb brushing them away from her skin.

"What's wrong?" He asked her.

"We don't have to do anything you know." She said quietly, trying to hide her scar from him.

Jacob's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "Bells, what are you talking about?" He asked wiping another stray tear from her face.

"You're not mat that I didn't tell you about it?" She asked him.

"Knowing what really happened to you? Not a chance." He answered with a slight chuckle. "We all have scars Bella." He added with a kiss. "My wolf is more furious that you were put in that position in the first place. That tick kept you under his thumb for so long. I'm so glad you finally woke up."

He allowed her to pull his shirt from his body, her lust reborn tenfold as she ran her gaze over his toned muscles. The predatory grin returned when he felt her fingers roaming over the expanse of smooth tanned skin. She complied when he pulled her nightgown slowly from her lithe frame. Goose bumps formed across her skin as her naked body was exposed to the cool air and Jacob's hungry eyes.

He groaned staring at her. "You're so damn sexy." he whispered before kissing her hard.

Bella broke their kiss shortly after it started with a pout on her lips. "Jake, you're being unfair." She said playfully.

"Oh yeah?" He asked as he arched an eyebrow.

"You are." She said with a quick nod before pulling him back over her prone form. She grinned when she elicited a quiet hiss from him as she dragged her nails down his back.

"Care to enlighten me as to how?" He whispered so low she wasn't sure it was still him she was talking to and not the wolf in him.

"Well, here I wearing nothing.." She nipped at his neck, eliciting another quiet groan. "And there you are, still half dressed." She whispered against his lips.

Jacob nodded his grin was almost feral. "I see your point." He said pinching her left nipple between his thumb and forefinger. "I'll have to remedy that then, won't I?" he asked replacing his fingers with his lips and teeth.

"God! Jake." Bella gasped, her back arching into the man above her.

"Something wrong?" He purred as his fingers played her body like a finely tuned piano.

Bella was getting drunk off of the lust coursing through her body. It was intoxicating, making it hard for her mind to clearly think of a way to turn things into her favor. Almost instinctively, she raked her nails down Jacob's back. The lust in his eyes increased tenfold, a hiss of pleasure escaping his lips as his body trembled with excitement. Bella's grin turned feral. That was it. Pain was his pleasure.

"Yes," He hissed quietly. "…how'd you know?" He whispered shakily.

"Your eyes gave it away. I just thought that with you being a wolf, you'd appreciate a little pain with the pleasure." She replied digging her nails into his waist slightly.

Jacob chuckled, his eyes dilated with lust. "Only you Bells would think of someone else's pleasure when you're supposed to be the one taking it." He muttered, his teeth nipping her neck.

"I'd say I'm sorry. But I'm not. I want to please you too, Jake. I want to watch your face when we fall over the edge of pleasure together." She muttered with a gasp as two of Jacob's fingers slipped just inside her wet pussy.

Bella's lithe form arched against him as his hands teased her core. Gasps of pleasure escaped her lips and pleas for more caressed Jacob's ears in breathless whispers. Her nails assaulted his back as she spread her lightly muscled thighs apart, allowing him to settle easily between them. He muffled her groans by capturing her lips in a searing kiss as he continued his blissfully sweet torture.

Jacob grinned and removed his pants before settling once again between Bella's thighs. His hands and lips were all over her skin as he settled his naked form comfortably against hers. His arms trembled with the effort it took to not just take her then and there. He wanted to draw the pleasure out. He wanted to see her reactions to his touch. He wanted to see her in the throws of passion.

"Jake, please." Bella cried in pleasured frustration.

His nose ran the length of her jaw to the shell of her ear where his teeth then worried her ear lobe. "Please what?" He purred. He and his wolf both were entirely too pleased with her reactions to want to stop what was going on.

"Don't tease me." she growled out in frustration.

Jacob's hips began to thrust gently against hers, teasing her core, pushing Bella's senses to their limits. It was a coy game of cat and mouse, each trying to outlast the other as long as they physically could. He and his wolf agreed they wanted her as theirs- had been waiting for a long while. He was beyond thinking straight as his wolf whispered in his ear to claim her, make her his for the rest of their natural born lives. Images flashed of her belly, swollen with his child growing within her, of her face in the throws of ultimate pleasure, of her as she was just waking up. Without thinking of it, Jacob entered her tight pussy in one powerful stroke of his hips.

Bella's back arched into him, her nails clawing at his back as a loud gasp escaped her lips. Her virginity was well and truly gone, freely given to the man she loved. Even with the pain racking her body, she wouldn't change a thing. Jacob held her to him, one arm around her body, the other shaking in an effort to keep them balanced. He kissed her neck, giving her time to adjust to the suddenness of being filled so completely. Bella's nails left deep and angry welts down his back causing Jacob's hips to buck against hers involuntarily. She gasped out his name, a jolt of pleasure coursing through her body.

"Jake." She purred as her nails dug into his shoulders. "It's ok."

He decided he liked hearing his name spilling from her lips in her lust induced state. His hips began to move against hers, a harmonic dance of fluid emotion and rhythmic passion. The urge to fall over the edge of an increasingly growing wave of euphoric bliss was making itself blatantly known as they rocked against one another in perfect unison. The gentleness was replaced the farther they fell into lusts' embrace, passion swallowing everything but them as they continued their ascent into bliss.

"Fuck, Bella…" Jacob growled when she dragged her nails down his back hard enough to draw blood.

Before they knew what was going on, before either was conscious of it, Jacob had turned Bella onto her stomach and pulled her up onto her hands and knees. He dragged the head of his almost painfully throbbing cock against her sensitive slit three times as he tried to regain some control of his body. When he felt her relax, he slammed his hips back against hers, encasing his dick within her tight walls.

"Jake, please. Yes… God yes!" He head was thrown backwards in the pleasurable pain of the act.

Jacob had to smirk. "You like that Bella?" He asked stilling himself until he had gained control of his wolf.

She whined and looked back at him over her shoulder. "Claim me, Jake." She all but purred.

His pupils dilated with lust after hearing her demand. He pulled her body flush to his and growled in her ear. The new wave of arousal that flooded his nostrils has his wolf growling in ecstasy. The hair was pulled from her shoulder as he began an almost brutal pace with his hips. She cried out and tilted her head to the side when she felt his lips against her neck, his teeth scraping along the sensitive flesh. He could feel the wolf taking over. The need to claim what was his was too apparent.

Bella felt a massive wave of ecstasy crash over her as she arched against him when his teeth sank into the fleshy part of her neck. She had expected it to hurt, but she felt nothing but pleasure from the act. His hands gripped her waist hard, and he groaned as he felt her release and heard his name screamed from her lips. She felt his body shudder as his seed spilled deep into her womb before the collapsed into a boneless pile together on the mattress. The coppery smell of blood filled her sense of smell. She saw half moon shaped wounds on his back, made by her nails while she had been in the throws of euphoric bliss. The frown that was dancing across her lips was gently kissed away.

"Don't be upset. It'll heal in a little while. Besides. I loved it." Jacob whispered.

She hummed in response and moved to lay against him. They had done something so entirely wonderful. She couldn't be happier. She was the claimed mate of a wolf. She felt secure now, knowing that he'd never have another by his side. With that thought, she drifted off into a light sleep, content that her wolf would keep her safe from any and all harm.

An hour of rest had Bella waking with a smile across her face and peace in her mind. Her hand moved across the warm space in the sheets where Jacob had been. She opened her eyes when she felt the emptiness there. Sitting up, she found him quietly dressing. Shock passed in his eyes before he masked it. He hadn't expected her to wake up so soon. He crawled back over her grinning. Their lips met and Bella sighed placing one of her hands on his cheek.

"I have to go honey. Let me carry you back into the house. Charlie should be home soon. The girls are all here. Quil told the guys what happened… unfortunately." Jacob huffed.

Bella smiled. Like the pack mind, it was still something she would have to get used to in time. There were just too few secrets among the pack. She kissed his cheek and leaned over to pull her jeans back on, followed quickly by her shirt. "It's alright Jake. We'll be teased for a few days, but it'll be alright."

They made their way back to the house to find Angela asleep on the couch with her head in Embry's lap. Emily and Kim had serene smiles on their faces and the boys all had knowing smirks on theirs. Before they could say anything, Sam's phone alerted him to a text message. He sighed and looked at them.

"Seth, Collin, Brady, you three stay here. We'll be back soon." He told them. They nodded and made their way into the living room.

Bella grinned at Jacob. "Make sure you show them what happened between Edward and I in school today. I want Carlisle talked to about it. He needs to know what Edward was trying to do." She told him.

The wolves in the pack looked on in disbelief. Bella had ordered him to do something. If it were them, they'd not stand for it. Their wolves were too dominant. However, Jacob smiled indulgently and kissed her cheek. When they were phased, he showed them what happened, as well as why he had taken her command. His wolf was entirely too at peace for the moment. His mate was claimed and there was nothing more the leech could do about it.

Training was everything they expected. However, towards the end, Jacob intentionally let his thoughts go. Edward had just showed up and Jacob was looking for a fight. What better way to do that than to let him see what happened earlier in the day.

It perfect clarity, the wolves and Edward had front row seats to every gasp of pleasure, every moan, every whimper and every scream of his name. He gave Edward a challenging look, daring him to say anything to him. He wasn't disappointed when the vampires eyes blackened with rage and hatred.

"You DEFILED her?!" He screamed.

The coven as well as the pack stayed back, allowing Edward and Jacob to circle one another. Jasper told them this could be used as a training exercise and let it continue so long as no one got hurt. It wasn't too much longer before Jacob had Edward pinned under his massive weight, his jaws clamped around his throat. His wolf was itching to finish the job, but the man in him reined the beast in and let him go- reluctant as he was to do so.

Jasper cleared his throat. "I think that's enough for now." He told them. His own emotions were going haywire within his body. He needed to be in his room away from anyone who was as emotionally torn as his brother, or as angry as Jacob. With a sigh just shy of pure relief, Jasper watched the wolves leave as silently as they had come. Jacob would go back to Bella and Carlisle and Esme were going to take Edward hunting. Perhaps, even for an hour or two, he could find some peace of his own.

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Author's Notes:  
Ok, not my best in my opinion, but it's finished. I'm a might bit stuck for the battle scene… looking for that one little shot of inspiration, going through all of my play lists but it might be a couple days. Please be patient. It's slow going, but I'll finish it, I promise y'all that. 


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer:  
All characters and known situations belong to their respective owners. Everything else came from my own mind- scary place that it is sometimes. In no way shape or form have I made or intended to make a profit from this story…. All rights still belong to Stephanie… though it's a shame she never did anything more with the wolves… ah well.. There's always fan fiction

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Chapter 9

Bella sighed and killed the engine of her truck as she pulled into her driveway. Edward and Alice were oddly quiet and somber and hadn't tried to talk to her at all for the whole day. She was pleased to note though, that when they were in the cafeteria his lip curled in disgust at the site of her mark- the faint scar only visible when her hair was moved completely off her shoulder. She both loved and dreaded that it was the weekend. If Alice was to be believed, Bella's fate would be decided sometime in the days to pass.

She groaned again when she got a text message from Paul. Jacob had just left his house and he was on his way over. He had taken one look at Paul before storming from the house, his proverbial hackles on the rise. Sure enough, not even a half an hour later, Jacob was there knocking on her door.

Bella grinned. "Hey handsome. You doing ok?"

"Honestly?" Jacob asked with a sigh.

She led him to the couch by the hand and smiled. "Nothing but."

"This sucks Bella. I mean, it's my sister! I mean… I get that I'm the youngest. But it's my sister. And she's always been… I don't know… a bitch? I'm not even mad at that he imprinted on her! I just hate that the spirits think they're perfect for each other. Sure Paul has a temper. But at least he's faithful to those he loves! He doesn't just… abandon them!" He ended his rant with a shaky huff.

And there was the real reason Jacob hated the imprint. He didn't think Rachel was good enough for Paul. While she agreed on some level, she also knew that every relationship was different. "Hey. It's alright baby. Maybe he imprinted on her to show her that it's ok to have someone to lean on. From what I remember, Rachel was always really independent. Snobby too, but… that's neither here nor there. My point is, we don't know what will happen between them."

"But-"

"What I do know is that you should give her a chance first. Paul is pack, but Rachel is your sister. Have a little bit of faith that things will work out. She might surprise you." Bella said kissing his cheek.

"Well, now that she knows, I guess she's been a little… odd. She looks at Paul, but she won't let him come much closer. It's like she's fighting it. I don't want to see him hurt is all. Even by my own flesh and blood."

Bella gave him a sweet smile. "You'll make an amazing alpha, Jake. You already care about the well being of your pack." She cooed.

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Like you don't do it too. How often have the guys had to buy lunch since we started going to Forks High?" He teased.

She rolled her eyes. "It's my penance, Jake." She huffed.

"Bella." Jacob sighed. It was an old argument. Ever since she had first learned what they were. Ever since she sat down with Kim and Emily and divided the task of taking care of a pack of teenage wolves between two instead of three. She said it was her way to apologize. They took it to heart and let her do it, but swore to her she didn't need to apologize for anything. The hold the leech had had on her was too strong for her to fight it.

"So you promise to behave tonight?" Bella asked, changing the subject.

Jacob grinned. "Is that another command, little mate of mine?" He teased.

"Nope. Just a simple request." She grinned and moved to straddle his waist. Her arms snaked around his neck and she pressed her forehead against his. "You need to relax." She whispered before her lips met his.

The wolf in him almost purred with content. He had noticed over the course of the week- that even while they had been together multiple times- Bella had changed. Not just in the typical way a woman changed after losing her virginity. She had changed with the marking. She was a little more graceful, a little more hungry, a little more sassy- all things that made his wolf stand up and take notice with a proud eye.

Jacob shuddered when Bella's nails lightly ran over the back of his neck. His eyes closed and his head titled to the side slightly when Bella nipped at his neck playfully. She was enticing his wolf to play; it honestly wasn't that hard. "Fire Bells. Fire." He muttered.

"You'll protect me." She grinned.

His hands moved to cup either side of her face. "Always."

"Love you." Bella whispered against his lips. Her hips danced minutely back and forth over his and Jacob couldn't help but groan.

"Love you too honey." He told her, his eyes more wolf than man when next he looked at her. Before anything else could happen, Jacob sat up, his back rigid, proverbial hackles raised. Bella watched him as he stared at the door, a protective hand laid over her as he moved her off of his lap and slightly behind his hulking frame.

Bella stared at him in confusion. "Jake?"

"One of them is in the driveway. The others are in the tree line." Jacob told her. He never kept secrets from her.

Bella worried her lip between her teeth. "Should I call the pack?"

"No need. Sam knew. He was outside already. Paul and Jared are with him now." He sighed. "They want to talk to you."

Bella groaned. "Of course they do." She muttered dryly.

He chuckled and pulled her bitten wrist to his lips for a gentle kiss. That too, he had noticed was healing. He had talked to his father and Old Quil. They had consulted the journals, but never once had they come across anything involving a human being bitten and surviving. Bella was the first of her kind in that aspect. Because of it, Old Quil started making notes in a new journal- everything he had learned of the girl- from the power of the vampire allure over her, to the abandonment, post abandonment, finding her way to the wolves and finally being chosen by the rightful alpha's wolf as well as the man himself. When he had seen her wrist after the marking, he had been astounded. There in front of him, was an almost faded scar that was no longer frigid to the touch, but more a tepid and raised patch of skin.

Bella smiled down at him and placed her wrist cuff back on. It was something the pack normally hated her wearing now that they knew what was hiding behind it. Leah threatened her daily that she was going to tear it in half. Sam told her not to be ashamed of her scar. She had survived that which was meant to kill her. She continued to survive. With a giant sigh, she stood up, pulling her wolf with her.

"You know you couldn't move me if I didn't want you too, right?" He teased.

She laughed. "Of course. But you indulge me anyways." She retorted before the doorbell rang.

Bella rolled her eyes at Jacob causing him to snicker. They had heard him tell her who was there and yet they used the doorbell anyways. She answered the door and was shocked to see a chastised looking Alice along with Carlisle and Esme standing out front. Jacob moved out to the front door first, followed by Bella who stood just slightly behind him but still at his side where she could see the three clearly.

Carlisle took note of the strange behavior until he saw the claim mark on her neck. "So I see now why these two were so upset when they came home from school." He mused lightly.

Jacob and Bella both arched a single eyebrow each and waited for him to get to the point. Esme sighed. "It's come to light that Alice was withholding information from Bella. I told her to come here and try to rectify some of the wrong done. At least before we leave."

Alice sighed, she looked pained and for a minute Bella couldn't understand why. Her eyes darted around the yard until she saw Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie talking to Jared, Paul and Sam. He was feeding Alice all his disappointment in her. "Victoria is coming tomorrow. Sometime in the afternoon. It's more than the four newborns I saw the first time. It now numbers close to fifteen or so."

Bella gasped and grabbed Jacob's hand. "How could you?! Did you want to cause me THAT much pain?! Do I mean that little to you?!" She hissed finally.

"No… I didn't want to at all! The first day of training, I saw it. Edward did too. He told me not to say a word. That he would handle it. Look, I saw his future disappear in the cafeteria. Its clear you've chosen that m- chosen the alpha, so I wanted you to know when Edward wasn't around to try to stop the truth from being told." Alice told her tiredly.

Bella shook her head. "I pity Jasper. You trail after Edward so much, I'm starting to wonder if Jasper is really your mate at all." She said while leaning in towards Jacob.

For his part- and his wolf- Jacob was quiet. The additional newborns would be tricky. They'd have to leave the pups with Bella and the other imprints. He'd also have to tell his dad to call Charlie tonight about a fishing trip. He kissed the top of Bella's head before leveling a stare to Carlisle.

"What's to be done with your…son?" He asked. "I let it go while we were training but do not take my leniency as some kind of honor or acceptance that he was interfering in her life." He growled out. It was loud enough that the wolves started walking closer in case they were needed. Jacob welcomed them. They were his pack after all.

Esme sighed and shifted uncomfortably. "Carlisle and I talked about it. We're moving after its all said and done. Rose, Emmett and Jasper… they're going to travel together. Alice and Edward are to be sent to our friends. We just feel it's the least we can do for how he's acted towards you- towards both of you." She told them.

Jacob nodded. "I stand by my word. Just ONE more indiscretion, and treaty be damned, his life is forfeit. I'll not have him harassing my mate!" He growled. His arms began to tremble where he stood causing panic to flash in the vampires faces. This was the wolf, not the man.

Bella turned to him. "Hey, shh… it's ok. I'm here. You're ok." She cooed.

Carlisle watched in fascination as Jacob's trembling form was soothed by Bella's gentle touch. His words were caught in his throat as he listened to the sweet whispered coming from her lips. Jacob was lucky indeed to hold her heart in his hands. He smiled sadly. She was never meant for them- she was too precious to ever be tainted by something so cursed.

"We'll take our leave now. We're going hunting in order to be prepared for tomorrow. Alice has told us that you have somewhere to be tonight too." Esme said with a sweet smile.

Bella nodded. "Just taking time to spend with friends." It was the best answer any of them would get. Bella hated them fishing for information. She caught on ages ago that they would take that information back to Edward. He would try to use it against her, or to benefit him in some way, so she stopped saying anything at all.

Esme frowned but nodded. In the blink of an eye the vampires were gone and the wolves sighed in relief. "So… that was interesting." Jared mused.

"Come on in guys. The deserts for the bonfire are almost done." Bella called from the open door.

Paul shook his head. "I think I'm just gonna head home till tonight." He said with a frown.

Jacob winced. He had done that to his friend. "Please… stay here."

Sam nudged Jared and together they walked inside to leave Paul and Jacob the illusion of privacy. They found Bella in the kitchen stirring a bowl of chocolate. Before they could even say a word, spoons were shoved into their hands and the bowl was presented for their approval. Sam moaned; he had died and gone to heaven with Jared right beside him from the sounds of it.

"Bella, you have to teach the girls how to do this!" Jared whined.

She laughed. "It's just simple frosting. Nothing to brag about really." She teased.

A few minutes later, Jacob and Paul walked in, each of them smiling and laughing. Paul hugged Bella to him and whispered 'thank you' in her ear. She only shrugged him off of her. She didn't like to see the pack torn, if it was something she could help with, she would.

Over the next hour, they laughed, joked, teased and relaxed in Bella's kitchen waiting for the cake to finish baking. When it was frosted along with the cookies bagged and brownies boxed, the wolves carried everything out to Bella's truck for her. She raced upstairs and changed- a simple pair of jeans with a long sleeved black shirt- and came back down the stairs just as quick. What stopped her, were the raised eyebrows in her direction.

"What? Does it not look ok?" She asked.

Jacob grinned. They were seeing what he had been seeing since the marking. With Bella more free, she was less of a klutz. "No, baby, you look gorgeous. You just didn't trip. It threw them for a loop, that's all." He teased.

She rolled her eyes. "If THAT'S all. Can we go now?" She huffed. "I promised Kim I'd braid her hair for her like I did last time. I guess I'm the only one who knows how to do it." She said dryly.

They laughed and shook their heads. Paul and Jared hopped into the bed of the truck with the tins and bags of deserts with a strict warning from Bella that it'd be the last ones they got if they snacked on the drive there. Sam and Jacob snickered and hopped into the cab with Bella. When they were half way there, Bella heard one of the tin lids pop up through the open window. She looked in the rearview mirror to see Paul with a cookie in his hands.

"Put it back Paul. You were told." She scolded.

Sam and Jacob snickered at the shocked look in his eyes. "I swear, she's got super hearing now." He teased.

"No, she just has an ear for trouble." Jared mused.

The rest of the ride was peaceful and when they stopped at Sam's house, Bella was swarmed by the rest of the pack. All of them intent on buttering her up for a chance to be the first to get a cookie from her. She rolled her eyes, pulled one of the chocolate chip cookies from a bag and shoved it into Jacob's mouth.

"Sorry, my man gets fed first by me." She teased before making her way over to the girls. "Hey Angie, is Nicole here yet? Or Rachel?" She asked giving her friend a hug.

The girls had been told on Wednesday about the pack. Angela had taken it with an optimistic smile and told Embry that- for the time being- she wanted a friend until she could whole heartedly commit herself to him. Embry had smiled and told her he understood. It didn't stop him from wanting to tear Ben's beating heart from his chest for hurting the girl though. When he told her that, she had laughed and hugged him.

Nicole had been a little different. She hadn't run away screaming, but she had kept her distance from everyone for two days after that. When she saw him Quil on the beach, she simply said 'ok' and then told him to tell her everything about being a wolf. By Thursday night, the two were sharing their first kiss after he walked her to the front door. Bella had laughed and laughed at that, simply because of the dreamy glint in Quil's eyes as he talked about it.

Rachel, she had been the least enthused. It was what had started all the drama. She had only come home to visit her dad because she had finished school. She told him she felt bad for not writing, hoping he would forgive her in some way shape or form when she really didn't mean it at all. Jacob could tell. He loved his family dearly, but he had always sworn his sisters were well and truly spoiled beyond belief. When she learned of the imprint, and all that it entailed, she merely groaned and walked away.

"Bella? You alright?"

Bella shook her head to clear her thoughts and looked to Leah who was now standing beside her. "Huh?" She asked.

"Eloquent." Leah teased. "You were staring into space. You ok?"

"Yeah, sorry, I was thinking about these last three imprints. I'm worried about Paul." She told her honestly.

Leah smiled. She remembered Rachel from before she left. "I think things will work out."

Angela hugged her. "You've got such a huge heart. How you did all that, survived everything. Bella, thank you."

"For what Angie?" She asked.

Angela smiled. "For being there when you were hurting so much more than we all knew. No one at school could wrap their heads around what was really going on. I guess they'd see things a little different if they really knew huh."

Bella giggled. Her retort was cut off when Nicole walked over to them with a tray of drinks. "Hey Bella. Emily said for you to taste test these. I would have come over earlier, but you were zoned out. I didn't want to interrupt the inner musings of the alpha female." She teased.

"Oh hush you. Emily is still alpha female for now. Besides, you'll learn in time, I don't mind you talking to me." Bella grinned. Out of the six on the tray, Bella had poured out all but two of them. One was a strawberry flavored punch, the other was Emily's home made cherry punch. Nicole smiled and headed back inside to tell Emily what Bella had chosen. She inhaled sharply when she almost bumped right into Rachel.

Bella's head whipped around with a raised eyebrow as Rachel stepped onto the deck. She smiled at Rachel and forcibly relaxed her body. "Hey, Rachel. I didn't think you'd be here this early." She said lightly.

Rachel shrugged. "Dad made me come over to help. He said it would give me a chance to get to know the other imprints. One of which, you aren't." She said.

Leah inhaled sharply. She was ready to tear into Rachel before Bella laid a hand on her shoulder. She relaxed more when she felt Bella's own body heat against her side. The girl knew, almost instinctually, how to act around the wolves, be in in their wolf form, or as humans. She huffed and simply walked away. Rachel was an imprint now- though she didn't like the girl- she had to protect her, her wolf demanded it of her. With the shake of her head, she walked over to where Emily and Kim were sitting with Angela and Nicole outside.

"What's wrong Leah? Are the guys picking on you again?" Kim asked when she saw her frown.

She smiled weakly. "No… Rachel was insulting Bella. I had to walk away, I hate hearing the girl insulted."

Emily and Kim smiled in understanding. Angela and Nicole- who had come to see Bella as an older sister to most of the boys- were quick to take offense. Before they could do anything, the older girls had them restrained. Angela glared and Nicole huffed indignantly. Before they could say anything, though, a loud gasp was heard from the front porch. Everyone turned to see what was going on. It was surprising to say the least, that Rachel was the one who looked like she had been physically attacked.

For the rest of the night, the pack and the other imprints watched the two. If they asked either of the girls what was said, they would clam up and refuse to talk about it and quickly change the subject. Any time Bella had her back turned, Rachel was there to glare daggers into her skin. A few times Paul was sure he could hear Rachel muttering things like 'bitch' and 'hokwat' when she thought no one was paying attention. For whatever reason, Bella decided to ignore it. Even Jacob ignored it, though it was hard, seeing as it was his mate being verbally attacked.

Bella merely shrugged it off. They had more important things to worry about. She had finally come back around to her wolf after talking with friends and laughing at stupid jokes. It was her eyes that gave away what she was trying to hide when she grabbed Jacob by the hand and walked down a stretch of deserted beach until they reached their driftwood log. Only in private, and in the safety of his arms did she let go and cry. It had been bugging her all night, as she walked among her friends- her pack. Some of them could die and it terrified her.

"You know I love you, don't you?" She whispered against his lips.

Jacob frowned and searched her deep chocolate eyes, trying to find out where all the sadness and worry was coming from. It was then he remembered, they had until tomorrow. "Baby, I'm going to be fine. You'll see. We all will be." He spoke confidently, and it seemed to do the trick as she relaxed a little bit.

"Please don't think I'm doubting you. I'm just scared for you." She told him. "You have to promise to come back to me. You're my sun, Jake. I can't lose you!" Bella whined near the end and she laid a sweet kiss near the corner of his lips.

"Come on. We're gonna go lay down. I need to talk to my dad before he goes to bed anyways. I don't want Charlie around the house tomorrow. In case she tried to go after him instead." He grinned when she laced her fingers through his. It wasn't but an hour later they were wrapped around each other in his bed falling into a deep and nearly dreamless sleep. 


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer:  
All characters and known situations belong to their respective owners. Everything else came from my own mind- scary place that it is sometimes. In no way shape or form have I made or intended to make a profit from this story…. All rights still belong to Stephanie… though it's a shame she never did anything more with the wolves… ah well.. There's always fan fiction

Author's Notes:  
FINALLY! Three songs gave me the inspiration for this- one is Night of the Hunter by Thirty Seconds to Mars, the next one is Unknown Soldier by Breaking Benjamin, the last is Breath by Breaking Benjamin. Hopefully I'll do this chapter justice when its all typed out compared to what was in my head .

Author's Note 2: Ok, so in my sleep induced haze this morning, I accidentally copied over the first copy of this chapter. All of it is the same till the end half. Again, I'm sorry you guys. All I can say is I won't post anything again until I've had at least one cup of coffee and my kids have gone outside for at least an hour to run off some of the energy they seem to wake up with .

Chapter 10

Bella woke to the feeling of cold wind at her back. She huffed and reached beside the bed to unplug the large box fan Jacob had in his window. She grumbled as she sat up and stretched. Little did she know that Jacob was snickering from behind the door as he listened to her curse werewolves and their supernatural heat. With a shake of his head he knocked gently on the door and made his way inside.

"Morning." Bella said after a large yawn.

Jacob shook his head. She was in nothing but one of his old tee shirts and he'd never seen anything more beautiful in his life. "Hey. I brought you breakfast." He said placing the tray in his hands on the nightstand.

"You're sweet. But I only just woke up. How long have you been awake?! What time is it, even?" She wondered.

He laughed. "It's a little early yet. Our dads just left a half hour ago. I didn't want to wake you up. So I told them you were asleep and made it look like I slept on the couch all night long."

"And my dad fell for it?" She asked with an arched eyebrow.

Jacob shrugged. "Charlie loves me." He said giving her a cocky grin.

"You sure about that?" She teased.

Jacob pouted. "Hey!" He whined. "That's not cool, Bells. It's not nice to tease the guy who loves you, ya know!"

"I only tease you because I know you can handle it. I love you too, Jake." She told him before pulling him on top of her. Their lips met in a sweet kiss before Jacob sat up a little and grabbed a bowl of freshly cut strawberries.

"Open up." His voice was husky as he dragged the fruit over her slightly parted lips. He watched in avid fascination as she bit into the berry, her lips closing over the end seductively. Her eyes were dancing with the growing lust she held for him and it made his chest rumble in satisfaction.

Bella groaned when Jacob moved his lips from her neck towards her plump, strawberry juice stained lips. She welcomed his weight over her and spread her thighs readily. They fit together beautifully, his caramel colored, near flawless skin against hers- alabaster and smooth. There were a few moments of shuffling around in which his boxers and her lacy black boy shorts were removed before he was once against settling his weight over her. She gasped when she felt the length of his dick pressed against her wet and waiting pussy, and groaned when he slid easily inside. His movements were almost torturously slow as he rocked back and forth inside of her. This wasn't the hurried passion they normally shared, this was about showing one another their love and devotion.

The slow buildup was almost too much for them both. Just before the were lost to the insanity of pleasure coursing through their bodies, they cried out in almost perfect unison. Their releases were simultaneous and together the came back to earth after the pleasure had threatened to send them both flying high into the heavens.

Bella clung to him, her lips placing sweet kisses to his cheek and the side of his neck as he rested most of his weight on his arms above her. She pulled him closer, assuring him she was fine and laid a sweet kiss to the corner of his lips. She was more glad now that she had given in to him than ever before, and if she was able to, she was going to spend the rest of her life showing him just how happy she was.

A knock on the front door had Jacob growling quietly. He didn't want to leave her. Bella giggled at him and shook her head. "I don't want to go." He whined.

"You never told me what time it was." Bella told him, ignoring the words he had just spoken. She needed to be strong for him. He didn't need to know that once he left, she was probably going to break down in tears.

"It's time for him to go! Come on Jake!" Embry called out, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

Bella sighed. "You come back to me! Keep your brothers safe!" She whispered.

Jacob nodded. "Easy. We'll be done in no less than an hour." He boasted.

By the time Bella was dressed and her food eaten, she was met with the worried faces of her friends. Emily, Kim, Angela, Nicole and even Rachel were all in Jacob's living room. Seth was out on the back porch in his wolf form along with Collin. Brady was inside with the girls, trying to keep their minds off what was going on.

_ "How are they, Seth?"_ Jacob asked again, for the seventh time in a half an hour.

For his part, Seth understood why they were so worried and indulged them. _"They're fine. They're watching a movie with Brady inside. Do what needs to be done. They want you guys home soon." _

_ "We got this!"_ Jared was confident they could handle anything thrown at them.

Collin whined from his place beside Seth. _"Don't get cocky."_ He warned.

The wolves emerged into the clearing from the tree line as a seamless unit. It impressed and awed Jasper to see. Edward sneered from his place beside Alice, having read their thoughts already. He growled when he tried to read Jacob's thoughts with very little success. It seemed Jacob had learned how to mask what he wanted to stay hidden rather well in the past week. He shook his head and looked to his family. They would forgive him in time for what he had planned.

Ten short minutes later, with the wolves hidden from sight, Victoria's newborns- all ten of them that there were- walked into the clearing. They had followed the trail of Bella's blood directly. It had all but put them into a frenzy when they had first smelled it. Under Victoria's command, they settled and made their way to where the smell was the strongest.

The usual song and dance was played out. Riley- the one leading her merry band of monsters to their death- told them what they wanted. Bella was to be killed at the hands of Victoria, and with her death the Cullens could go free. When that failed, he told them they had signed their own death warrants. Jasper had been correct, Sam mused. The newborn vampires, while they lacked in tactics, more than made up for their young 'age' with their ferocity and eagerness to fight.

They rushed head first into the scrimmage with no tactical logic whatever. They were readily dispensed of by both the wolves and the Cullens. What they didn't take into account for was the ten more hiding inside the tree line. Edward had heard them prowling but had said nothing. He leapt into the trees and watched as three of them attacked Paul, only to be thrown off by Sam. He smirked when he watched the last newborn left wrap his massive arms around the great black furred wolf and squeeze. The resounding crack and piteous whimpers were all that was heard before Jared and Embry leapt to his aide. Carlisle rushed to Sam's aide, working to check that nothing major was damaged, such as his heart or lungs. When it was established that it was his ribs broken, he asked Paul and Jared to help carry him back to his home in order to help reset them. They agreed reluctantly, and only after Carlisle told them they could stay to watch his every move.

Victoria appeared then, having been sure the Cullens as well as the wolves would be killed off. She was mildly surprised to find that only Riley and Laurent were left alive. She shook her head and sighed. She should have known better. It was her belief that you never send a boy to do a man's job, and you never trusted when it came to revenge. It was an art form of the most precise making.

"Well, it seems you've survived. Tell me, where's your pretty mate, Edward." She hissed at him. She was circling him, looking for an opening.

Jacob growled low in his throat. Bella was his! He watched while the vampires circled one another. When her back was turned and she was thoroughly distracted, Jacob took his chance. He caught her shoulder in his massive maw and sunk his teeth into the marble like flesh. Her screech of indignant fury was all that was heard before she turned to face off with the angry behemoth.

"Why are you protecting her?!" Victoria snarled. "She's nothing but a mere girl!"

Jacob growled again and snapped at her side. She dodged in time, now circling him instead of Edward. He was the bigger threat she was now realizing. He would be the one to do any serious damage. Edward would only run from her again. She wasn't quite quick enough to dodge his teeth again when he lunged, but she was able to sink her nails into his side. Gaping wounds appeared where the flesh over his ribs was torn wide open. Through the pain, Jacob held on, shaking her arm from its socket.

The remaining Cullen's and the remaining wolves watched on silence as Jacob and Victoria circled one another again. It was his fight, and his alone to finish. Bella was his mate and so she was his to defend. Edward was the only one who thought different. He said nothing and watched, waiting to see just who survived. With his luck, Jacob would die and Bella would have no choice but to lean on him.

Rearing up on his hind legs, he lunged again, snapping his jaw and he aimed for her throat. Victoria smirked and caught hold of his left paw, crushing the bones of what would be his wrist in his human form. She danced away from him, knowing that if she wanted to escape, she'd have to kill the wolf attacking her. Watching how he now favored his front paw, she made a calculated decision to attack that side of his body. His leg was crushed and therefore deemed unusable. She didn't take into account the sheer determination Jacob possessed.

Embry had always been a tactical thinker. He could see Jacob was favoring his front leg. He could also see that Victoria took notice. Even though they were told not to interfere unless he fell unconscious or was killed, he still commanded Jacob to listen to him. He could feel the appreciation through their shared mind link as she attacked his favored side once again. The wolves all smirked when a chunk of her body went into the fire after being thrown from Jacob's mouth. They stared on in shock as Victoria dropped to the ground in pain.

Esme must have seen their heads tilt in confusion. She moved closer to one of the wolves, knowing if one knew they all would. "You already know the only way to destroy our kind is to tear us apart and burn the parts. IF a part is torn off, it can be reattached. If a part of us burns after its detached from us however, we feel it as though WE are being burned. It might help Jacob. It could give him an advantage. He's tiring AND losing blood."

Jacob heard it and snorted. He would win this. He had a mate to go home to. When she lunged again, he was waiting. He didn't dodge her like she thought he would. He met her head on. In retaliation, her nails dragged down his tender underbelly, opening four rather large gashes in the sensitive flesh. Jacob backed off again, whining in pain as he circled once again. He wasn't going to last much longer, but he was determined she'd go down before he did. The piece of marble flesh in his jaws flew into a nearby slowly burning fire. When she sunk to her knees, panting from the pain, Jacob attacked.

In a move that both shocked and impressed both Emmett and Jasper, Jacob used his remaining strength and caught Victoria's head in his open maw. He shook her body with enough force to sever her head from her neck and threw the still wide eyed, gaping mouthed appendage into the flames. Her body was descended upon quickly by the remaining wolves and vampires. Jacob stood just long enough to bare witness to her burning body before he collapsed. The adrenaline was gone from his body and all that was left was the pain and dizziness from his wounds.

Edward had watched the proceedings with boredom. He smirked the second Jacob had fallen and his family as well as the wolves turned to watch in shock before falling over themselves to help him. They whisked him away to Carlisle, leaving the clearing free of any supernatural life save for his own. Bella would be his for the taking now. Regardless of the fact she had given herself to a wolf who held her heart in his hands, she would be his. With so few wolves- mere pups- left to guard her and the other wolves' mates, it would be an easy catch. He raced through the trees so as to have some advantage over the mutts and smirked when he landed at the back of the Black's family home.

He could hear the heartbeats inside, as well as smell the tears from the girls in the house. There was only one he wanted to see right now, however. His only problem was, how to get to her without anyone inside knowing it was him. The opportunity presented itself when he saw her walking into the kitchen on her own. The dogs were all in the front room and un phased. He did however, have to plan his moves ever so carefully. If he was in his right frame of mind, he would have found it very odd that he couldn't hear any of them. The only thing on his mind at the moment was getting Bella away from tribal land.

"- in a second you guys. I'm gonna take the garbage out."

Edward smirked. Opportunity had knocked. Bella was just stepping outside with a bag of garbage in her hands. Before she could even shriek, she was in his arms in a fireman hold. He had mere seconds before she realized what was going on.

Bella gasped when she looked over her back and saw a head full of copper hair. She screamed loud enough that the three wolves inside were running out of the door in time to see her being whisked away. In mere seconds he was cornered. He hadn't even gotten 100 feet away before they had phased. He knew from training sessions that these boys could hold their own, and these three in particular worked extremely well as a unit.

"Why can't I read your minds?!" He snarled in aggravation.

Bella whimpered. "They've gotten really good at hiding their thoughts, both from you and from each other if they don't want something personal known. That's more than likely what they're doing to you now. Just let me go. They'll go easy on you, Edward. Please, just let me go back with them. Jake is going to be home soon."

"Jacob is dead!" He hissed.

Bella's eyes went wide. Her bottom lip quivered as tears bloomed in her chocolate irises. As soon as Edward smelled her tears, the anger left his body. "Shh. Don't cry love. We can be together now." He cooed.

She fell limp against him, the pain of losing her mate encasing her heart like a lead weight. She didn't want to believe it and her brain screamed at her not to. But the pain of her worst fears coming to life was a little too much at the moment. Edward stared in shock. He hadn't even tried to enthrall her. It was as if she no longer had the will to live now. It was everything he had heard had happened when he first left- only now it was because he had told her Jacob was dead. He was her mate, she should be happy to be with him again.

Brady had phased back while Edward had been distracted. It a calculated move, he tackled Bella away from Edward, being sure to wrap his arms around her protectively and roll in such a way that he took the brunt of the impact to the hard ground. He sat up with Bella in his arms to watch Collin and Seth pin a shocked Edward to the forest floor. One wolf's jaws on his arm, the other set around his throat. He looked at the woman in his arms and frowned.

"Bella? Sweetie, can you hear me?" He asked quietly.

She made no move to even hint that she had heard him. Edwards harsh words played on repeat in her mind.

"Bella! Come on… you've got to snap out of it! He's not dead! Ok. He's hurt, but not dead! I'll take you to him!" Brady all but cried. His emotions were a heady cocktail of angst at the moment- anger at Edward, worry, fear and pain for Bella, and a little shock that Edward had been that bold.

Edward stared at Bella as he was hauled to his feet. She was an empty husk of herself now. And like this, she was uninteresting save as an easy meal. the inner demon in him could smell the deliciously fragrant blood coursing through her veins and he craved it. He lunged towards her, his eyes completely black with hunger. The wolves were quick to restrain him which only added to his blood lust as he fought to get to the woman in front of him.

"I'm taking her out of here. She needs to see Jacob before she gets worse. Find some way to restrain him. Jacob can have him when he's better. Bella is the Alpha's mate, leech. You signed your own death warrant messing with her. I'd say it was good knowing you, but I can't stand the smell of you and I won't even think about you when you're gone. I'm sure Bella wont either." He sneered.

Edward roared with indignant fury as he struggled to get away from the wolves holding him down. "She's MINE! You have no right!"

Seth phased back and ripped Edwards legs from his body. Collin phased back and did the same thing with both of his arms. They didn't want to take a chance on him escaping. They both rolled their eyes when he continued to rant and rave. He swore revenge on the wolves, and he swore Bella would be his. Seth merely shook his head. They needed somewhere to hide the body.

"My dad has an old cabin a little further in on the rez. We can take him there." Collin said.

"You must have been reading my mind." Seth teased. Together they gathered the pieces and made their way back to Jacob's house. It was slow going, and their wolves' grumbled and complained with them for leaving the leech alive, but they wanted their alpha to have the satisfaction of killing it.

To say that Kim and the other girls were shocked to see Bella laying almost completely limp in Brady's arms was an understatement. She had never seen the brunette as anything other than the strong willed, fearless, fierce yet so very compassionate woman they had come to love and respect. Around her she heard the gasps and cries of her friends. Bella's eyes were dimming, the life in them leaving her slowly.

"Brady, what happened to her?" Emily asked in horror.

"Edward took her. That's why we ran out of here so fast. We caught him before he got away, but he told her Jake was dead. It's like the life left her. I need to get her to the Cullen's so she can see he's ok. She always called him her sun, but I don't know right now. She's starting to REALLY scare me."

In a flurry of movement, all the girls went about getting ready to leave. All but one. Rachel stared at Bella in stoic curiosity as a single tear made its way down her cheek. She knew now what was going on, Bella wasn't breaking down like Brady and the other girls thought. She was in shock. It was the way she and her sister had been after they'd lost their mom.

"Rachel, are you coming?" Emily asked before the walked out of the door.

"I'm staying here. I- I just need a few minutes." She told them quietly.

Brady growled something quietly under his breath. "Whatever." He knew she didn't want to see Paul. The whole pack knew it. For Brady, who had been taken under the silver wolf's wing, it was like a slight against his big brother. If Rachel had known that, she was only just now acknowledging it.

"How's Paul?" She barely whispered.

He sighed and bit back a scathing retort. "I'll tell you when you REALLY want to know." He told her firmly before whisking the girls away in Kim's SUV. Bella was his main priority right now, and he had made it perfectly clear to her.

Rachel still didn't know what to think of Bella. She had certainly changed. She thought back to what had been said last night before the bonfire. She had been watching the intricate relationship with Bella and the wolves ever since then. Even her bonds with the other imprints were well and above what Rachel expected. She wasn't an imprint, her brother had merely marked her as a mate. Surely that meant she would be beneath her and the other girls who had been chosen for their wolves by the spirits. Their last conversation replayed on her mind in a loop.

_ "Look Rachel, lets just get one thing straight. I don't like you. I never have and I probably never will. I DO, however, like Jacob. So for him, and for Billy, I'll try to refrain from being too harsh when I say this."_

_ Rachel arched an eyebrow and waited while Bella seemingly gathered her thoughts. "Well?! Spit it out. I haven't got all day. I want to go down to the beach sometime soon. Paul is in with the other boys, it'll be the perfect time to go without him chasing after me."_

_ Bella shook her head. "You don't know how much I want to slap you for that comment Rachel Lynn Black. For the longest time, I wondered if you were well and truly that much of a bitch or if it was all an act to hide the pain of your mom's passing after the accident. Now I see it was just you being yourself. You are one of the most insensitive, narcissistic, obnoxious PATHETIC excuses for a woman I have EVER met, and that is to INCLUDE myself after Edward left me enthralled for 6 months."_

_ "EXCUSE YOU?!" Rachel hissed._

_ Bella shook her head. "Paul is one of the most caring men I have ever met in my life. He's loyal and he takes the time to make sure a person is worth it before they're let into his life. But when they are, when he accepts someone, he's protective, he's funny, a little proud, he's helpful and best yet, he's a wolf. And he's stuck with you!"_

_ "What's that supposed to mean, he's stuck with me?!"_

_ "Rachel, you don't even take the time to get to know him. You just assume that because he imprinted on you, he'll know everything about you and be ok with the fact that you don't give a rats ass about anyone but yourself. You left your little brother to care for your handicapped father at the most opportune moment. You started all kinds of drama in school just to sit back and tell people I told you so, if the rumors are to be believed. You want the center of attention to be on you all the time and don't care who you have to step on to get what you want. So yes, he's stuck with you."_

_ Rachel was struck stupid as she stared at Bella. This was not the same meek little girl she had known as a teenager. In front of her was an aggrieved woman on the rampage. She shook her head. "You have no clue what you're talking about Isabella marie Swan. You don't know me."_

_ "No, Rachel. All I know, is if your mother was alive to see how you've chosen to live your life, she'd be more ashamed of you than your own brother. She would also be the one to tell you that Jacob hates the fact that you were imprinted on for fear that you'll run away and leave Paul like you did the family that has NEVER been able to count on you for anything other than being just another pretty face. And even THAT will fade in time."_

_ Bella moved to step off the porch. She turned and looked over her shoulder. "Tell me Rachel. When you look in the mirror… do you see Sarah, or do you see the monster that everyone else does? Because while you look like your mom, you will NEVER be her. You're heart is turning as black as your last name."_

With that in mind, Rachel stood, grabbed her keys, her purse and a jacket and called Brady's number. She had found it in her brother's phone after deciding she was going to drive to the Cullen's home. She needed to see him, and then she and Paul would have to talk. She had wronged him for no other reason than her own apparent selfishness. It was something she knew deep in her heart she would have to change if she wanted to see anything happen between them. With a hopeful heart, she started her car and headed off to start her life in the pack that had claimed her.


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer:  
All characters and known situations belong to their respective owners. Everything else came from my own mind- scary place that it is sometimes. In no way shape or form have I made or intended to make a profit from this story…. All rights still belong to Stephanie… though it's a shame she never did anything more with the wolves… ah well.. There's always fan fiction

Authors Notes:  
Ok, so the destruction of Edward was going to happen in the last chapter, but it was too long. So I moved it here. Please don't kill me just yet, lol. I've got a few more curve balls to throw before the game is through. I promise nothing too bad anymore- well… maybe.

Two songs gave me the inspiration for this- one is The Animal by Disturbed, the other is Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace. Hopefully I'll do this chapter justice when its all typed out compared to what was in my head .

Chapter 11

Jacob was floating in an ocean of black. His senses were dulled to almost nothing, save for the sound of Bella's voice. The more he honed in on that gorgeous sound, the more his other senses seemed to awaken as well. Behind his closed eyelids, dots of light danced in a bright kaleidoscope of colors. His memories were hazy, though he remembered fighting- lots of growling and biting. His wolf had almost completely taken him over and it was a hard pressed battle for the human within to regain any semblance of control. That was when he had collapsed.

Bella kissed Jacob's palm for the fourth time in a little over an hour since she had woken up that morning after having slept beside him all night. She felt guilty for scaring her friends so easily but even more guilty that she had listened to Edward- yet again. She should have known better. The pack was her family now. Brady had told her Jacob was alive. Now she had nothing but guilt for putting him through something he never should have had to deal with. Jacob as well as the rest of the pack had done so much for her; they'd brought her back to life. She sighed as she ran ideas around in her head for ways she could possibly start to make it up to them.

"Jake, I'm so sorry I doubted you. I just couldn't stand the thought that you had left. If you had died… because of my foolishness… I'd never forgive myself for that. My head told me you had left me here alone. My heart screamed at me to wait until I had seen for myself… but you must know what it's like. You dragged me from the cliffs. Jake. I don't know what I'd do without you. You have to wake up so I can scream at you, and then you can scream at me. Just please. Wake up ok?"

She sighed and made her way down the stairs. Esme had told her last night none of the wolves were very inclined to leave since both the alpha and beta of the pack had been injured and were in the house being treated. She had then gone about cooking and cleaning up after them all- which put them even more on edge. The imprints too were leery and worried. They would all be less tense when they were allowed to go home. And if seeing her healthier could ease their minds a little, she'd do that. She owed them that much at least.

The wolves sighed and turned their eyes towards the stairs when they heard Bella coming down. She gave them a small smile, still a little shaken and worried but twenty times better than she was when she had first come into the house. The girls sighed in relief and rushed to gather her to them, each one taking the time to hug her tightly before scolding her for scaring them that badly. It was something they never wanted to see again. The wolves too- Jared and Paul in particular- couldn't help but agree. They didn't like seeing her weak. It had shocked and scared them when they had seen her the night before.

Brady had handed her off to his brothers with orders to take her to Jacob and had then dragged Paul outside to talk to him. He had told Paul exactly what was said to Rachel when she asked to speak to him shortly after her arrival and he had warned him that Rachel would possibly seek him out sometime in the near future. He didn't like calling the woman out- she was an imprint after all- but Paul had assured him it was alright. They had finally come back inside through the back door half way through Bella's heartfelt talk.

When Bella saw Brady, she smiled and walked over to give him a hug. "I just wanted to say sorry to you- all of you really. I should have known better. But… I love him. He means the world to me, and I guess I was just too shocked to say anything- DO anything- other than close down on myself." She said quietly.

Brady waved her off. "I get it. You don't have to explain it to me. You said it once yourself Jake is your sun. Bella, the sun and the moon can't survive without one another. They NEED each other for balance and stability. We all understand that. Just promise us it won't happen again, ok?"

"It better not happen again!" A voice behind them answered.

Bella whirled around and almost fell against Brady in her shock. There, coming down the steps with the help of Rosalie was Jacob, almost fully healed and smiling beautifully at her. Before she could launch herself into his arms Emmett stopped her. He was quick to let her down when twin growls echoed from the room. One of was from Jacob- predictably- the other was from Bella- surprisingly.

"I didn't mean anything by it you two. But Carlisle told him no strenuous movements." Emmett soothed. "I think catching you in mid leap would be considered strenuous right now, don't you?"

Bella huffed and walked over to him. She sighed and carefully wound her arms around his body. "You're gonna be ok right?" She asked against his chest inhaling the ginger and rain smell that was uniquely his.

Jacob smiled and hugged her to his side. "Yeah. I was advised to take it easy for a couple days. But… I should be ok. How's Sam?" He asked smiling at Emily.

Emily smiled. "He's mending well. Another couple of days and he'll be right as rain."

"That's good. I'm sure he can't wait to get home." He said quietly.

Carlisle took that time to walk into the room and clear his throat. "You're both more than well enough to be able to leave. You should be healed within two days, able to phase without pain in a week."

Jacob looked around the room finally. He arched an eyebrow when he noticed one vampire missing. "Where's the mind reader?"

"I haven't heard from him since you arrived last night. He must be out hunting." Esme said.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "More like sulking since Jacob didn't die…. What's wrong Bella?"

All eyes were on her now as she paled slightly. Her heart raced beneath her rib cage and her breath left her in nervous pants. "You weren't told?"

It was Brady's turn to pale now. In all the chaos, what with having the alpha AND the future alpha injured, he had forgotten to go to Jared about Bella almost being kidnapped. The imprints, by a unanimous and unvoiced agreement, had refused to say anything either; it wasn't their place. They didn't want to raise tensions any higher than they were. The pack was already in the proverbial lions den as it was.

Brady sighed and hung his head as he approached Jacob. "I'm so sorry Jake. I'm just so, so sorry. I should have told Jared as soon as I got here. I just didn't think about it with everything else that was going on. Rachel came to talk to me about Paul and then I had to tell him what was going on so he could be warned about it and-"

Jacob winced and waved a hand for quiet. "Just… stop. Tell me WHY you're apologizing. Please."

Brady gulped. The pack watched in awe as the imprints- Bella included- moved to stand around Brady. They were a part of this too. "Yesterday, after Victoria was killed… Edward came onto the rez. He took Bella from your yard. We had only just phased back 5 minutes ago. It wasn't until the back door was opened that we smelled a leech. He… h-he was trying to take her off of tribal land."

Jacob's face was a mask of quiet fury. He heard the Cullen's gasp in shock behind him and his jaw clenched all that much tighter. He closed his eyes and reined in his wolf enough to turn to Bella. "The reason you doubted me?"

She nodded her head. "He told me you were dead. I should have been strong enough to know better." She whispered.

"I'd never leave you like that. I promised I'd come back." He told her gently. It wasn't her he was going to take his anger out on.

"What else happened Brady?" Jared asked him. Jacob was too focused on soothing a quietly crying mate.

"We stopped him. I got Bella away from him, Collin and Seth pined him down. They didn't kill him. They're saving that honor for you Jake. They'll have taken him somewhere remote. I know that much." He said quietly.

Jacob turned to the vampires in the room. Alice looked sick, Carlisle was consoling an upset Esme and Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie looked just as furious as he felt- those three at least would be saved the wrath of the pack- it was clear they still held SOME decency. Even if none of them had asked to be changed, it seemed that Bella was right when she had first talked to Alice, Carlisle and Esme had forgotten what it was to truly be human. "You realize his life is forfeit now." It was a statement rather than a question.

Alice gasped. "Please, I beg mercy of you!"

"MERCY?!" Jacob roared- his wolf seething on the inside. The pack shifted as nervous energy built in the room causing an uncomfortable tension. The mated wolves slowly shifted their imprints behind them and out of harms way. They trusted Jacob, not the vampire he was taking his rage out on.

"Jasper… do something!" Carlisle urged.

Jasper shook his head slowly. "I can't control all of that rage. His wolf has been highly insulted. For that matter, so has the pack." He said quietly.

Jacob took two menacing steps forward. The timbre of his voice dropped to an almost growl as he locked his eyes on a now slightly shaking Alice. "Where was HIS mercy when he left my MATE in the woods to die?! Where was his MERCY when he almost bit her in the school HALLWAY?! Where was his mercy when he threatened to change her in front of my eyes? Where was it then you little tick-"

Bella stepped in front of him with her hands on either side of his face. Gasps and warning shouts were given and promptly ignored as she began cooing to him softly. "Jake… shhh. It's ok. Baby… Jake, baby look at me, please?"

Jacob inhaled and locked his eyes with Bella's. The anger was rolling off of him in waves still, but she wasn't afraid. She'd never be afraid of him. "He hurt you again. I wasn't there. I didn't save you." He whispered piteously.

She shook her head and smoothed the worry lines from his eyes, smiling when he started to relax. "You didn't get the chance this time because you bought my freedom with your blood and the death of Victoria. The pack- the pups for that matter- kept me safe for you. You didn't fail. You came back. So stop it. Just… calm down, your scaring the girls." She scolded lightly.

Jacob sighed and looked to his pack mates. Indeed, the girls were standing slightly behind their respective mates. He hadn't even noticed Sam in the room until he looked to where Emily had been. His head was hung only slightly in shame. "I'm sorry."

Sam grinned tiredly, his breath coming in short pants as she shifted his weight slightly. "There's nothing to forgive Jake. I do want to know what's to be done with the leech who attacked our Bella though."

Carlisle sighed. He turned to Bella with a sad smile. "We'll be leaving. It pains me, but Edward's life is yours to do with as you will. I'll not stop you from what you must do."

"One week. After that, I'll not stop the wolves from openly patrolling in Forks." Sam said firmly. Carlisle nodded and watched them leave. There was little to be done other than pack up and make their deaths look accidental.

The ride back to the reservation was a quiet one for Bella and Jacob. She sat curled against his side while Embry drove her truck. They stopped in front of Jacob's house and were greeted by Billy and the rest of the elders. They had come to see the severity of the injuries themselves and to make sure everyone was alright. When Sam only stumbled briefly they relaxed, assured that they were safe from harm. Jacob sighed and turned to Sam. They both knew what was coming; their wolves could feel it.

"It's time isn't it?" Sam asked with a tired sigh.

Jacob nodded. "I don't want it. The wolf does. We can feel the anticipation of the fight already."

Sam nodded in understanding. He had never wanted to be the alpha either. "Us too. I'll try to hold the wolf back as long as I can. It should be quick."

Bella and Emily gasped quietly when they realized what was going on. It was the last thing they wanted to hear. Their wolves turned to them with tender eyes. Their mates loved them so deeply. While they were worried, each woman held her head high in respect for them. Bella still wasn't completely up to par from her extremely brief relapse, but she trusted Jacob. If this was what needed to be done, she'd stand by him.

"Let's do it now. There's a lot left to do." Jacob said.

Sam sighed and nodded in agreement. Together they phased into their gorgeous lupine other halves. Sam tried to quell his wolf as much as possible. He didn't want the alpha position and Jacob's wolf was more than eager to lay claim to it. When Jacob lunged, Sam crouched and forced his wolf to hold the position. He didn't want to fight. It incensed his wolf, but Sam's control was stronger now that it had been when he had first phased. He could feel Jacob's teeth in his neck, and each time his wolf struggled those teeth sank deeper into the skin.

With a final shake of his jaw, Jacob staked his claim on his birth right. A howl of victory sounded from deep within him and was echoed by those still phased. Sam was rightfully made the beta of the pack and the wolves surrounding the pair quickly and easily acknowledged it. They breathed easy now that the tension was gone. Things were as they were always meant to be.

"Hey, Jake! Phase back baby. Seth called. He wants to tell you where they're holding Edward." Bella called from the front porch. Jacob hadn't even seen her move to go inside.

His lip curled at the name and remained firmly set in a frown when he phased back. It was only wiped from his face when he walked past Bella. He placed a kiss to her temple and moved lithely to the kitchen counter where the phone lay waiting.

"Where, Seth."

"Collin's family has an old cabin further in on the reservation. Just down the old pine trails. I think you'll enjoy the means by which we've used to keep him from running." Seth's smirk was evident in his voice, and from the sound of it, it was cruel and directed towards the vampire in question.

"Give us two hours. Sam and I need the rest. I'll send Jared and Paul to you with food, rest when they get there, but don't leave." He told him.

"Sure thing Jake." Seth chirped.

Jacob rolled his eyes. That kid was too happy. He hung up and turned to see Bella leaning against the door frame. "I'm glad I have you by my side, Bells. I need you so much more than you know."

Bella smiled. "I need you just as much, Jake. I'm still so sorry for ever doubting in your ability to stay alive."

A finger was placed to her lips. "It's fine. If I were in Edward's shoes, I'd probably have done the same thing. He's obsessed with you, and he believes you're his mate. Does he love you? I don't know. In some sick way, probably. But, honey… I've always loved you. Ever since we were little. And I always will. You're my best friend."

Tears welled in her eyes. "You're my rock, Jake. My sun. my guiding light if you want to say that. All I know is I want to spend my life with you. Why I thought it would be Edward, I have no idea. If you had asked me last year who I wanted the rest of my life to be spent with, I would have chosen him. But you've changed all of that. And I'm grateful."

Jacob sighed. He and his wolf both rumbled in pleasure at her confession. He kissed her, just a shy meeting of lips, and wrapped her into his arms. The silence that blanketed them was only broken by Jacob's stomach growling loudly. Snickers were heard from the living room causing both of them to roll their eyes.

"If you want lunch you'll shut up!" Bella called out. She smirked when silence met their ears.

Emily and the girls sauntered in and together, after shooing Jacob from the kitchen, helped Bella prepare the equivalent to a large feast for the boys. It took them no less than an hour to make it. As promised, she packed four plates of food in a basket and sent it off with Jared and Paul for them to share with Collin and Seth. She asked Brady and Quil to set the table for everyone and no less that twenty minutes later the food was gone and the wolves left at the table were leaning back in their seats completely satisfied. Bella sighed and shook her head. Watching the pack eat would never get old.

Sam glanced at the clock and nudged Jacob. They both grimaced. Jacob turned to Brady and Leah. With a smile he told them to take over patrol. He promised to have two of the other wolves relieve them when the leech had been dealt with. He instructed Embry and Quil to keep the girls inside. Not one of them was to be let out of sight. When it looked like his sister wanted to argue with him about it, he merely arched an eyebrow and stared her down. She needed to know he wasn't the same pushover he had once been.

The transition from man to wolf was flawless for both of them- one as the oldest, the other and the rightful alpha- and they took a moment to bask in the power that flowed through them. They turned towards Jacob's house at the same time to see Bella standing on the porch waiting to wave them off. It always amazed them that she wasn't ever afraid of their wolves. She really was sort of perfect for the pack.

"_Where do we go_?" Sam asked.

Jacob would have shrugged if he had been human. "_Follow the rotting stench of bleach and death_?"

"_Sounds good to me… race ya_?" Sam teased. They had become pretty good friends since becoming wolves, and Jacob still looked to Sam for help with a great deal of things. It was nice to think he could still do that even when their roles were reversed.

Jacob nipped playfully at Sam's shoulder before bounding off into the trees. He loved the way the wind felt through his fur, loved the feel of the ground beneath his lean yet strongly muscled body. Sam felt the same thrill as he ran beside his alpha. He relished the fact that some of the weight of running the pack was off of his shoulders.

It took them a mere twenty minutes to get to the cabin. It was homely enough, if not a little weather worn and run down in some places. The roof was still in tact and the windows were all in one piece. Jacob phased effortlessly back into his human form, followed quickly by Sam. When they both stepped onto the bottom step at the same time, it moaned in protest. Sam arched an eyebrow and allowed Jacob to go first, not trusting their weight to hold at the same time.

Collin met them at the door. "It'll be fine. It may complain a little, but this place was built to last. It's holding four wolves so far. If THAT'S not testament to its sound structure, I don't know what is." He told them.

Jacob's ears were met with hisses and growls from the far corner of the cabin as soon as he stepped through the door. Paul looked like a small kid again with mirth twinkling in his eyes as he poked and prodded at the torso of one highly aggrieved vampire. He smirked at Seth. "You're doing?"

"All Collin." He said nodded to the arms and legs strung over the fireplace just high enough that they wouldn't directly catch fire- yet.

Sam shook his head. "Did he make you THAT mad that'd you'd play with your prey before destroying it?"

Collin shrugged. "He messed with the future alpha's mate. I wanted to lay him over slow burning coals, but I didn't know if the body would catch fire too quickly or not. A hot poker doesn't seem to catch him on fire… but it's fun to watch him growl through the pain and try to act tougher than he is."

"You're only wrong in one aspect of that… he messed with the alpha's mate." Sam said with a sinister grin directed towards Edward. "And now there's hell to pay."

Collin and Seth turned to Jared and Paul. "You two could have told us!" Seth huffed.

"Oops." Paul said around a mouthful of home made potato chips. He had been snacking since he arrived. He was having too much fun making the leech mad. It was like the little boy who poked sticks into an ant hill just to watch them swarm from the ground.

Jared shrugged and stacked another log onto the fire. "Slipped my mind. I was too busy teasing the leech."

Jacob shook his head. "Didn't your mother ever teach you it's not nice to tease those less fortunate than you?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. His eyes, however, were dancing with mirth.

"Yeah, but this is a different thing all together. This is a beast that will very soon be put down for the good of humanity. I figure it'll be alright if I have ONE slip up."

"You just wait, you god awful, rotten, foul, disgusting excuse for a flea infested mutt! I'll get out of here and you'll beg for death. I'll make you WATCH while I drain Bella. Three days. It takes three days to turn. All the pain, I'll chain you in the room to hear her screams!" Edward hissed.

Jacob's wolf bristled at that. "I don't think so tick. You see… there's one flaw in your little plan. You ASSUME you'll be leaving when we do."

"He'll leave, Jake." Seth said picking at his nails. Five wolves turn their heads sharply to glare at Seth.

"He's taking a one way trip to the open gates of hell." Seth said with a casual shrug of his shoulders. He could have been talking about the weather for all anyone outside the cabin knew if they had seen the exchange.

Jared smirked. "I knew there was a reason I liked you."

Edward watched in indignant fury as Jacob walked calmly towards the ropes his limbs were suspended from. He tilted his head to the side as an idea formed in his head. Thoughts of abolishing the treaty and killing those of the coven not liked by Bella- essentially only Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett would live. Edward's eyes were wide in shock. He'd never known the werewolf before him to have such dark and volatile thoughts before.

"You'd do that? Even after I'm dead and gone?" His voice shook only slightly in his shock.

Jacob smirked. "I AM going to do that- part of it at least. And I'll enjoy it as well. You and yours have pushed me and my family one too many times tick." He growled before walking to where one of Edwards arms was hanging. He fed it slowly into the flames, watching as the fire consumed the marble like appendage an inch at a time until nothing remained but for ashes.

While Edward screamed in pain, Jacob thought of every time he and Bella had lain together- every sigh, every kiss, every teaching caress, and every scream of pleasure. His pack mates watched on in silence, a little leery of the man in front of them now. This was not the same sunny boy everyone knew him to be. This was the alpha who had had his mate kidnapped, attacked and harassed for weeks on end by a delusional vampire.

When Edward's screams had died, the second arm went into the fire. Jacob started with the hand, slowly feeding the appendage into the greedy flames. Paul shivered, goose bumps raising on his arms at the tortured cries of the leech suspended next to the fireplace. He quelled the urge to leave, sure his alpha would be displeased with him if he did. This was, after all, Edward's punishment for ever thinking he had any claim on Bella to begin with.

The legs were the next to go, fed one by one into the ever hungry fire by the steady hands of the alpha wolf crouched in front of it. He was appeasing the vengeful wolf in his mind as he watched the glittering marble skin turn to ash in the fireplace pit.

"Please…" Edward finally choked out.

Jacob smirked. He knew he'd beg eventually. "What was that, tick?"

"Jacob, please, what would Bella think of all of this?" Edward asked weakly.

A voice behind in the silence of the room shocked them. "She'd say goodbye, Edward."

Bella and Brady stood in the doorway, ignoring the shocked looks thrown their way. Jacob arched his eyebrow at them. "Brady?"

"She said she wouldn't feed us if one of us didn't bring her to you and the other girls readily agreed. I told you, wolf girls are scary when they're together." Brady said with a whine.

Bella sighed and moved to stand by Jacob's side. "It's time to end it, Jake. Let's go home."

Edward's eyes were wide in shock as he heard Bella order Jacob to destroy him. He couldn't believe it. Even if he secretly held no more delusions of her love for him, he'd always known her to be compassionate and forgiving in nature. Had he really underestimated her that much. He screamed for Jacob to wait before he was thrown into the fire.

"Bella, love, please, look at me?" He had to try once more to sway her to his side. If she agreed, he could barter his freedom for her safety. Even without arms and legs, the thrall would do her harm. As underhanded as it was, he'd do it to keep himself alive.

Bella took a deep breath and turned to him. When their eyes met, he stared in shock. This wasn't the woman he had attached himself to a year ago. This woman was strong, and… beautiful. When their eyes met, he was shocked to see nothing happened. He couldn't reach beyond the wall she had finally built to keep him out.

"Goodbye Edward." Bella said. She watched as Collin and Brady moved to throw him into the fire.

"Wait. He won't fit like this." Seth told them.

Jacob looked to the wolves remaining. "Phase and tear him apart outside- SLOWLY. I want him to suffer as much as possible. Come find me when you're done. I want nothing left of him when you get back." He demanded.

Their backs were turned as the wolves dragged the mangled body of Edward around the back of the cabin. Bella shuddered only briefly when she heard the screams start. With a straight back she walked away from the chaos with Jacob at her side. Edward was her past, and tonight, it had been laid to rest. Jacob was her future, and where her heart had always truly belonged.

She giggled when he crouched in front of her and ordered her to jump onto his back after she had tripped on yet another tree root. Confidence in herself had given her the ability to stave her general clumsiness, however, hidden tree branched in the brush and leaf litter on the forest floor still held some hazard for her health.

"Hey Jake?" She let her chin rest on his broad shoulder.

He shifted her weight higher up his back so her legs could more comfortably rest on his hips. "Hmm?"

"I love you, you know." She said with a grin.

Jacob stopped and turned his head to her with a grin. "I know Bells. Always have." He teased.

"You're house is empty right now. The elders are at Leah's house, and the pack is gone." She said quietly before nipping his ear.

He shuddered. "You better hold on tight baby girl." He growled. When she did as requested, he took off at a sprint. The wolf in him needed her, and he was damned if he wasn't going to listen. He was finally at peace with his wolf, and was more inclined now to listen to the animals demands. Claiming his mate again was chief among them. His light footfalls and Bella's giggles were all that was heard on the way to his house. By the time they arrived, Jacob was more wolf than man and Bella was more turned on than she had been before. She knew what was coming, and she couldn't wait. 


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer:  
All characters and known situations belong to their respective owners. Everything else came from my own mind- scary place that it is sometimes. In no way shape or form have I made or intended to make a profit from this story…. All rights still belong to Stephanie… though it's a shame she never did anything more with the wolves… ah well.. There's always fan fiction

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
Chapter 12

Jacob growled as he stared down the pups of the pack in front of him; he caught them trying to sneak out the back door into the tree line to patrol before anyone knew they were gone. They had played a prank on the imprints that had sent them screaming from the house after seeing four rather large rats in Sam's bathroom tub just that morning after breakfast. Even though Jacob was the alpha now, his house was just too small for the pack, so Sam's house was still where they chose to be most of the time. He was now, however, showing his displeasure in them as he watched them shifting nervously as they waited for him to decide what was to be done with them.

Before him, Collin, Seth and Brady cowered with their bellies low to the ground and their tails tucked firmly between their legs. Their wolves could feel the alpha's displeasure rolling off of him in waves. They all but crawled forward, slowly, cautiously. Brady was the first to ease himself from the ground to hesitantly lick at Jacob's muzzle. When he made no move to stop him, Collin and Seth did the same, all the while keeping their tails tucked between their legs.

The pack watched on in wonder from their various places in Sam's back yard where they were laying as Jacob's wolf rumbled in acceptance of the action. The pups hadn't meant for them to get that scared. They had intended it to be a harmless joke, not knowing that the girls would react that strongly to the rodents. All the pups knew, was where one went, the others were usually not that far behind which was why the rats were placed in the bathtub since the girls always did each others hair and got ready in the guest bathroom.

Sam nudged Jacob with his head affectionately. Their wolves relied on touch more than their human counterparts realized. He had willingly given up his claim of alpha but he still commanded some dominance over the pack. He accepted his new beta position with pride and grace, promising to help Jacob in any way he could. The nudge was a friendly reminder that it wasn't THAT serious of an issue.

Jacob nipped Sam's ear affectionately, doing the same to each of the pups. It was only then that they stood up to almost their full height. Their tails began to slowly wag when they realized Jacob wouldn't reprimand them much more than he already had. In all honestly, they were slightly more than relieved.

Bella walked among the pack happily on her way to Jacob. She pressed her face into his pelt and inhaled greedily. She'd been so scared seeing him bandaged and laying so still in one of the guest rooms at the Cullens place. She had kept silent watch over him all night, waiting for him to open his eyes and see her. It wasn't until after she had fallen asleep that he had first woken up, the majority of his wounds closed and turned to feint pink lines already.

It had been three days between then and now. The elders had called the school, claiming the boys had come down with severe stomach bugs after a weekend spent camping. Bella, Angela and Nicole were also among those who were told to stay home. Angela claimed she had a stomach flu along with Nicole, while Bella claimed that she was being harassed without giving her dad any names. She told him simply, it was being handled and she'd rather stay home for a few more days until she was in the right frame of mind to deal with the idiots that made up the senior student body.

There were now only two more days left before Jacob gave the vampire coven it's final blow- the abolishment of the treaty laid down by his great grandfather. He relaxed and turned his head to rest it's weight gently against his tiny mate. She was a blessing to him, and she didn't seem to know just how much he and his wolf both adored her. There was a comforting peace that blanketed him with just her gentle touch. Now, though, he could feel the worry coming off of her, and his wolf was restless in the rush to soothe her fears away.

"Carlisle is on the phone. He asked that I send you in to talk to him but wouldn't tell me about what." She said quietly.

"_Here we go_." Jacob huffed butting his head against Bella's shoulder, gently nudging her towards Sam so he could phase without hurting her.

"_Have fun_." Sam chuckled in his head and lay down behind Bella, allowing her to curl up against him. Emily had done this multiple times over the last few hours- same as the other imprints. Each of the girls would curl up with a wolf from the pack- save for the pups with whom they were entirely miffed with still- to talk to or spend a few minutes with if they weren't with their respective mates. After the fight they were just in three days prior, they didn't want to see the boys fighting amongst themselves- especially since they had just started trusting the pack in their wolf forms.

Sam heaved out a great sigh as his eyes searched the yard for his beautiful mate. Even with her face scared on one side, there would never be another woman as perfect as she was. He mentally grinned to see her curled up against Leah. He was happy the two were getting along again. It eased the ache in his heart for the injustice he had done the poor girl.

"_I'll bite your ass Sam if you don't can it_!" Leah growled out through the pack mind.

It was a testament to their new found trust in the wolves that had Emily shaking her head in amusement rather than running away screaming in fear when she heard her cousin growl.

"_You're welcome to try. I can take you_." He retorted playfully with a snort and a shake of his great head.

Leah huffed deeply and raised her head from Emily's lap to stare at her former alpha. "_Not when you're all banged up like that_." She teased. "_I'd have a definite advantage. But I'd feel horrible for harming the handicapped_."

Emily followed her cousin's gaze. "Is he picking on you again Leah?"

"He better not be!" Bella frowned sitting up from her place against Sam's side to glare at him.

All around them, the wolves let out barks that sounded oddly like laughter- the girls had no idea it was really Leah poking fun at Sam. Bella looked to Emily, then to Kim, then to Angela and finally to Nicole and Rachel- whom she had accepted a huge apology from when the girls had been alone in the kitchen only an hour earlier. As one, the girls stood and made their way inside. If the wolves had been in their human skins, each of their eyebrows would have been raised in confusion.

"_It's NEVER a good thing when all the imprints are together…_" Brady whined.

Sure enough, and with smirks on their lips, the girls walked back outside, each with a sandwich in her hand. The wolves whined and stared at the food hungrily. Emily pulled a sandwich out from behind her back for Leah, walked over and laid it down in front of her. As soon as her feet touched the porch, they all began to eat with Leah finishing her sandwich in only two bites.

One by one, they phased back and dressed before turning to the girls with pouts on their lips.

"That's SO not cool you guys!" Jared whined.

Bella only shook her head. "Serves you right for messing with Leah! She doesn't like being picked on, and we don't like finding out about it!"

"Tattle tale!" Brady muttered. "If they only knew how mean and abusive you REALLY were." He huffed.

What Paul had dubbed the 'mommy eyebrow' slowly raised as Bella turned her gaze on Brady. The wolves closest to him shivered and adverted their eyes feeling as though they had done something wrong. They ever so slowly edged away as she glared. "I heard that Brady! And JUST for your information- and that goes for ALL of you- Leah didn't say anything to us. We just know you!"

His reply was cut off as Jacob slammed the phone back into it's cradle. The pack watched as Jacob stormed outside, stopping abruptly when he saw the girls on the back steps. He was mindful of them as they scooted one way or another to let him pass. For that, their wolves were grateful to their alpha- he still had enough control that he wouldn't phase at the drop of a pin just yet.

"What's wrong Jake?" Embry asked with a raised eyebrow.

Quil gathered Nicole into his arms and stared intently towards his alpha. "What happened?"

Jacob sighed and shook his head. He wasn't ready to talk just yet. He felt Bella's arms around his waist and closed his eyes. Her lips to his shoulder blades soothed the angry beast within somewhat. "They want to say goodbye to Bella. When I told them it wasn't happening- I'm sorry for answering for you by the way Bella- pixie had to have a fit. She said she wouldn't leave without seeing you. She wants to see how you're coping after her brothers death."

Bella sighed. "I don't mind you telling them no on my behalf Jake. I WOULD ask that you let me say goodbye to Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett though. Those three at least still have my respect."

Jacob nodded in agreement. "Let me go too? My wolf doesn't like it-"

She put her finger to his lips. "You'll be right by my side."

Angela sighed. This was how it was supposed to be. She leaned her head on Embry's shoulder and looped her arm through his with a small smile on her lips as she watched her friends. If Bella could be strong enough to let her past go, then she could be strong enough to give Embry a chance as well. She giggled when she noticed the shock in his eyes. Not a word was said as she very gently placed her lips to the corner of his mouth. That was all he was getting for now.

Likewise, Rachel moved to sit closer to Paul, placing a plate with four sandwiches on his lap. When he looked at her, he smiled when he saw a feint blush coloring her cheeks as she explained that she didn't know what he really liked; she had made four different sandwiches instead of them all being the same kind. It was a peace offering of sorts. Her mother always used to tell her, the way to a man's heart was through his stomach- so too was it true for a wolf- even more so.

Jacob sighed. "Alright. Alright. So we'll see them tomorrow after school right?" He asked bringing the pack's attention back to them. They had let their attention wander and so had missed half of the couple's quiet conversation.

"I'll send Rose a text. I should probably go back and finish my homework too." She groaned.

Snickers surrounded her. Jacob smiled. "Come on, lets go get your homework done, then maybe we can all go to the beach." He said loud enough for them all to hear. Whoops and shouts of joy were heard as Bella and Jacob slowly made their way to the back steps to go inside.

It was the opportunity Leah had been looking for. She grabbed Jacob by his bicep before he could leave to follow Bella. "I need to borrow him for a sec… please Bells?"

Bella shrugged. "Sure. You can't keep him though, he's mine."

"Oh go on. You have homework. And I know Seth, Brady and Collin do too. And I better see you three doing it, remember, my mom knows your moms." She warned. She smirked when they grudgingly shuffled inside after Bella.

Angela and Nicole stood. "Us too. So do Embry and Quil." Nicole said grinning when the boys pouted.

Paul, Jared and Sam left for patrol while Kim and Emily busied themselves in the kitchen with Rachel. When they were finally alone, Jacob turned to Leah. "What's going on Lee? You cleared the entire pack out." He teased.

Leah bit her lip and tentatively reached into her back pocket. She pulled out an envelope and then the letter. She hesitated briefly before handing said letter to Jacob. His eyes scanned the contents before shooting back to her in both pride and shock.

"I didn't even know you applied anywhere."

She shrugged. "It was before I gained a body of fur. I deferred last year… but I just got that yesterday. It's a full ride since I'm Native American. I wanted you to be the first to know. You and Bella. You were both there for me… you trusted her with me…Jake… I really don't want to give this up…"

Jacob smiled. "Go."

"You mean it?" She asked stopping herself mid rant.

He nodded. "You've done what was asked of you. We all have. It's four years. You'll be back right?"

"Every summer and holiday!" She promised.

"I meant to stay… after you're finished?" He didn't want to lose another person close to him- much less a member of his pack.

Leah smiled sweetly. "It was always the plan for me to come back home. I can use what I learn in school here on the rez when I come back. It's not that long."

Jacob grinned and opened his arms for a hug. "Then you have my blessing, Leah. Let me handle the elders if they try to say a word about it. You deserve this."

Her squeal was so uncharacteristic, it had the pack rushing outside ready to phase in order to protect both she and Jacob. Seth tilted his head in confusion when he saw her hugging Jacob tightly. Jacob's stunned face was enough to cause Quil and Embry to cackle with delight before they were shut up by their alpha's raised eyebrow. Leah cleared her throat nervously when she saw Bella.

"We'll let you talk to the girls. I'll tell everyone else what's going on inside. Kill two birds with one stone and all that good stuff." Jacob said before hugging her gently.

When the girls were alone, Leah sat them down and sighed trying to figure out how exactly to tell them. She decided to be blunt and let it sink in slowly. One look to Bella had her words faltering again. She'd never know how to thank the woman for showing her she wasn't afraid of what she had become.

"Leah? Is everything ok?" Kim asked her.

Leah smiled. She'd miss each and every one of them. "It's perfect actually. Just before I say what I have to say, I want you all to know you're some of the best friends I could have ever hoped to have after becoming a wolf. Especially you, Bella."

Emily bit her bottom lip lightly. It was a nervous habit she had had since she was in elementary school. "What's going on?"

"I'm going away for a while. Remember last year when I deferred from college because I wanted to take a year off? I sent my applications out a month or two before I phased. I got a letter in the mail yesterday." She showed it to Emily first.

"But… that's where you really wanted to go!" Emily cried out happily.

Leah nodded. "Yeah. From what I read it has one of the best nursing programs in the states.* I showed Jake. He's letting me go so long as I come back here. And I will. I promise! I couldn't leave you guys. This is my home, no matter how angry I was. I never wanted to leave for good."

Bella stood without saying a word and moved to where Leah was sitting. She held her hand out and waited until Leah was standing as well. In a move that shocked them all Bella gave her a kiss to the cheek and a tight hug. "You had better write to us!"

Angela and Nicole soon followed suit. "You had better come back to visit us Leah. We may only be imprints, but you're still our sister. Don't let those mean old humans push you around." Nicole teased.

"You give them a piece of the old tough girl act if they try it!" Angela agreed.

Kim stood to hug her, kissing her cheek as Bella had done and pulled away to look her in the eyes. "You're not so bad, you know." It was her way of saying she'd miss the girl.

Emily smiled through the tears. "I'm going to miss you! You'll really come back right?" She may have caused her an ungodly amount of pain in the beginning, but they were best friends again.

"Of course! I'll come back every summer, holidays too and for spring and winter breaks." Anything else she was going to say was cut off by the pack filing out of the house.

"Jake told us. Were you going to leave without saying goodbye to us too?" Quil pouted.

Bella laughed. "Guys, she's not leaving for a while yet. You still have all summer with her."

Leah grinned. "That means I get to see Bella and Angela walk before I leave." She teased.

They groaned. "Don't remind us! I just want to be DONE with school already." Angela whined.

Jacob chucked. "I'm testing out early. I got tired of it. And with the credits I have now, I'll only have one semester next year before I can graduate and be done with it all."

"Ah… one has to not only be strong and angry, but smart to be an alpha." Quil teased.

"Well that rules you out, Quil." Embry snickered.

All other jokes were abruptly stopped when three distinct howls rang out through the trees. Embry and Leah quickly herded the girls back inside while the pack all phased and took off. There was a leech- or four- on their reservation that didn't belong there.

Jared, Paul and Sam had cornered four nomads. The small group had told the wolves from where they sat in the tree branches just out of reach of teeth and claws that they wanted to speak to the alpha. It was urgent news that they brought. It seemed yet another Cullen was angry, only this time it was the alpha's blood she was after.

Jacob would have banged his head on a tree if he had been in his human skin. This was getting ridiculous. First they bring dangerous vampires hell bent on killing his mate into the area, then they LEAVE said area when Bella is attacked over a paper cut- something that almost had him attack Jasper until he knew just whose blood lust had actually fed his hunger- only to come back just six months later. Now, because the pack extracted revenge on a monster intent to change Bella for his own, the pixie thought she was going to get revenge for her brother. It was so mind numbingly repetitive.

With that knowledge, the pack was left to have fun playing with the vampires. They allowed the four to think they were allowed to leave. It was Paul who attacked first, his jaws closing around the arm of one of the brunette females. With a screech, she turned and tried to rake her nails down his body. She didn't know he had learned from watching Jacob fight.

Quil leapt over a fallen tree and grabbed a tall, blonde haired, red eyes male by the neck all before landing on his back. Before the vampire could even register it, the chocolate brown wolf was shaking his head from side to side, tearing and ripping the neck from the rest of the body. The same was done with the arms and legs.

Collin, Brady and Seth worked as a cohesive unit to take down the second male. He was more muscular looking with black hair and an angry scowl. While Seth pretended to charge him, Brady or Collin would circle in to take a chunk out of an arm or a leg. It was fascinating for Jacob to see them working so well together. He couldn't help by chuckle when Seth stood in front of the vampire while Brady pretended to lunge this time. With that distraction, Seth took the opening and tore the head cleanly from the body.

Sam was already phased back and busy lighting the little female he and Jacob had torn apart on fire. Her head was still hissing before it was dropped to the flames. The wolves whined as the stench of rotting flesh wafted into their noses from the smoke. It was one of the very few things they despised about being wolves. The rest of it, they were pretty satisfied with.

With every last piece of vampire filth burned to not but ash, the pack turned as one and headed home. Jacob shook his huge lupine had when he saw Bella leaning against the back porch railing. She shushed Embry again when he told her she might want to come back inside. Poor man just didn't know how stubborn his mate could be.

"So now we have to watch out for the pixie? Fucking Cullens! When does it stop?" Embry sighed as he sat on Sam's couch. They had just filled him and the girls in on what was said before the leeches were sacrificed to the ever hungry flames.

Jacob shrugged. "Who knows? I'm not worried. She can't see us. So anything she tries to do will be met with a black screen in her mind."

Bella shook her head. "I feel so bad for Jasper."

"What?! Why? I get that he helped us and all that, but he's still just a leech!" Paul asked nearly choking on his drink.

She rolled her eyes at his lack of manners. Still, she couldn't fault him- his loyalty would always lie with the pack first, then the girls, then his tribe. "Well, think about it in terms your wolves can understand. Lets use your wolf, Paul, and you too Rachel since you're his imprint. So, Paul… you stand here." She pointed to a space near the couch.

Brady leaned over to Seth. "Does she know how dumb it is trying to get us to care about those ticks?" He didn't notice Bella looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not going to ask. It keeps me out of trouble." Seth muttered.

Kim cuffed the back of their heads. "Shut up you two!"

"Thanks Kim." Bella smiled. Kim merely nodded.

"Anyways, Rachel stand by Paul please." Bella walked a little ways away standing near the fireplace. "Ok, so pretend for a moment, you two are Jasper and Alice. You two are SUPPOSED to be mates. Now… ah… yes, Brady… come here please." She all but purred with a saccharine sweet smile dancing on her lips.

Brady stood and walked slowly to where Bella was standing. "For all intents and purposes, this will be Edward." She said with a smirk. The pack snickered at that.

"Now… he doesn't have a mate. And yet… Alice-" She walked over to Rachel gently taking her hand. "Alice was always more concerned with Edward's well being, his feelings, his happiness. And because he could read minds, they were ALWAYS together." She said putting Brady's arm around Rachel's shoulders.

Both Jacob and Paul growled lightly at that. Jacob because it was his sister and Paul because, even though they were only friends, Rachel was still his imprint. Bella only smiled. "Now you see why I feel bad for Jasper. That right there! The wolf in you sees his mate willingly in the presence of another male- an UNMATED male at that."

Brady dropped his arm and all but ran from Rachel. He looked up to Paul, but he now knew never to mess with Bella. She was evil when she wanted to be. Paul merely sighed. He knew Brady didn't mean it and told him as such.

Angela merely shook her head. "I feel sorry for Jasper as well. But it makes me wonder if they were ever truly mates. How could you willingly break apart from something like that unless there was never anything to break apart from?" She wondered.

Jacob raised an eyebrow. Bella shrugged. "I'm going to give that little pixie a piece of my mind tomorrow though, just you wait. You all are MORE than welcome to watch too."

They all agreed. It would definitely be a sight worth seeing. Jared smirked. "Can I bring popcorn?"

Jacob rolled his eyes and snickered when Sam threw a pillow at his head only to be scolded by Emily and Leah at the same time. This was his life. Chaotic as it was, he was happy that things had turned out this way. He secretly agreed with his pack, he couldn't wait to see what Bella had in store for the pixie when she saw her after school tomorrow.

Author's Note:

I checked online. The school she's going to go to isn't one of the top ranked, but I've heard some really good things about it. So... for the story... we'll say it's top ranked .


	14. Chapter 13

Disclaimer:  
All characters and known situations belong to their respective owners. Everything else came from my own mind- scary place that it is sometimes. In no way shape or form have I made or intended to make a profit from this story…. All rights still belong to Stephanie… though it's a shame she never did anything more with the wolves… ah well.. There's always fan fiction  
Author's Note:  
Thank you all for the awesome reviews, follows and favorites. I'm sorry this took longer than I thought to get out. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter… but it's there. This story is almost done- hasn't gone exactly how I saw it in my head, but for the most part, I'm really happy with it over all.

Chapter 13

Carlisle and his family were shocked to see the wolf pack climbing out of their cars just two short hours after Alice had come home from school. No other imprints were with them- just Bella and ten wolves to play body guards. He had to wonder again how she managed to surround herself with supposedly cruel and ferocious monsters of folklore and not be afraid of any of them. She obviously didn't see any of them that way, but sometimes he was still shocked to speechlessness by her inherent ability to see beyond a persons mere looks and actually see them for who they were inside.

"Hello Bella. What can I do for you?" He finally asked when she was close enough to the front door.

Bella smiled cordially. "You can point me in the direction of Alice and stand out of the way please. I have a few things to say to her." Her response was rather cold and aloof. It shocked him to hear it.

"Of course. She's waiting for you in the living room." He moved aside and allowed her to walk by. "Are your friends coming in too?" He asked slightly nervously.

Quil growled. "We're not staying out here bloodsucker! That's our alpha f-"

"Hush! Embry, Quil, stay by the door inside. Brady, Collin, Seth, stand outside and watch. Jared, Paul, Sam, Leah and myself will be right by Bella at all times." Jacob said with no room to argue.

Carlisle paled slightly. "I see you've taken your birthright." He muttered.

"Is that a problem for you?" Jacob growled.

Bella sighed. "Let's go please? The sooner I say what I need to, the sooner we can all go home."

Rosalie, Jasper and Emmett met them as they entered the vast space of the open floor plan that was the downstairs living room. The furniture was all but destroyed. Raised eyebrows were all the reaction the Cullens got from Bella and her wolves. Carlisle had expected slightly more from her, and couldn't understand why she wasn't trying to make them stay. She had told them once they were like her second family- back before the wolves.

Rosalie sighed and moved to stand in front of them to answer the unasked question. "We're not coming back this time. Jasper, Emmett and I… we're leaving. As in… we're not going to be Cullens. Jenks… our… accountant has divided our amassed fortunes for us. Here's my email address, phone number, and oh… if you and Jacob ever feel up for it… we're going to Montana. The ranch house is on acres and acres of private property… and Jasper's friends Charlotte and Peter are going to be there too. Oh Bella, don't cry…"

She sighed and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm still going to miss you. And maybe after things settle down… well… it's not that far away."

"It's only like 11 hours or so." Emmett grinned.

Bella shook her head and hugged them briefly. "You take care of each other. And Jasper… you'll be ok." She told him cryptically.

Alice danced into the brunettes line of vision. "Won't you even pretend to be upset? We're leaving, Edward was killed. How can you be so calm?" She wondered.

Leah snorted. "Stupid deranged pixie. Why must you act so insulted?" She muttered.

"I asked them to bring you to see us because I was sure you'd need us to comfort you. You're not even remotely upset like the rest of us are. How can you not be upset?" Alice huffed, ignoring Leah's comments.

"I'm more upset, Alice that you would threaten my family. The wolves did nothing more than protect me from a vampire who was trying to end my life." Bella told her, her voice quiet, and her eyes full of anger.

"Edward loved you! He wanted to be with you! You turned away from him, Bella! You watched him die! Those mutts deserve to be put to sleep, every last one of them, for destroying my brother the way they did!"

Bella's temper flared causing the wolves to almost whimper at her anger. She balled her fists and closed her eyes to try and quell the anger she felt before looking at her former best friend. She shook her head and gathered her thoughts to her before trying to talk- it was something she had learned after all the fights with Paul. Anger only begets anger, and in a room full of supernatural beings, anger was never the best way to go.

"You may think you're doing your family a favor by threatening the lives of the wolf pack, but I'm telling you right now, it's not going to happen. The reason I'm not upset is simple. I don't love Edward. I fell out of love with him after he proved to me that I wasn't really worth his time when he left me in the woods. I told you that when you tried to make me go with you after his hair brained idea to commit suicide in Italy. Just leave, you've done enough damage. Don't attack the pack, it'll only end badly for you."

Alice squeaked in indignation as she stared at the human before her. Bella had her arms crossed over her chest, her hair hanging loosely around her shoulders and behind her, Alice noticed the wolves smirking. She resembled some sort of female protector and it only caused Alice to scowl more.

"Those wolves would be better off being put down. Maybe then you'd come to your senses. Murderers, the lot of them!" She muttered petulantly. "Look at what they did to my brother! He was trying to rescue you and they tore him apart for his efforts! I'll kill them one by one when they're least expecting it!"

Bella shook her head sadly. Alice would never learn. "I'm telling you now Alice, come near my friends, the pack, the treaty line, any place I am right now, with as mad as I am towards you and I'll make a home made flame thrower out of a bottle of hair spray and a lighter and use you as a mobile target!" She growled, venom dripping from her words.

Esme gasped in shock. "Bella? Where is this anger coming from?" She wondered.

"It's directed towards anyone who would think about harming my family. Unfortunately for Alice, the pack is my family."

Alice huffed. "They're just dogs Bella."

"Enough you deranged little pixie! I'll show you who's better off-" Paul started.

Jacob put an arm out to hold him back and Sam placed a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down Paul. The leech knows what happens if she openly attacks any of us- including Bella." Jacob growled, his threat clear.

"I'm sure we can find a way to solve this peacefully. After all… there is still the treaty to consider." Carlisle said with a gentle hand on his daughters shoulder.

Jacob sneered. "Speaking of treaties… it's null and void. While Edward paid for it with his life, he still threatened to harm not only a member of our pack, but my mate as well. As per the treaty laid down by my great grandfather, none of your coven was to attack a human within the borders of Forks or the reservation." He said while casually inspecting his nails.

"Surely we can work something out, Jacob." Carlisle stuttered out. He had never expected that.

Sam growled. "You would have burned the very day that Edward tried to kill Bella. Or as soon as all of us were completely recovered. We knew though, that it was only Edward who had wronged us. He paid with his life. Now, however, the treaty is forfeit."

Esme gasped in shock. "You would kill us, after all our help with Victoria? After the peace between us?"

"Every last one." Paul growled. "No offense." He sniffed towards Emmett, Jasper and Rosalie. They merely shrugged. It was understood, Bella was their family. They'd die to defend her.

Bella sighed. "They let you live because I asked them to. The longer you stay, the higher the risk that more boys will phase. It's because of you that the pack was needed in the first place. Please, just leave."

"I'll give you until Monday. After that, any of you left here… well… the boys are always looking for an outlet." His threat was outright and if the situation hadn't called for it, Bella would have smacked him in reprimand.

With a final wave goodbye, Bella and the pack were on their way back to the borders of La Push. She sighed and leaned in towards Jacob, who had offered to drive her truck. Jacob, for his part, stayed quiet. He could see the emotions dancing across her face. It had been easier for her to face her past and lay it to rest than she had realized, but it still hurt. He smiled when he felt her hand slip into his. As upset as she was, she was still with him and it made saying goodbye that much easier for her.

~*~*~*~

The rest of the school year seemed to fly past the wolves and their studious mates. Fall and winter gave way to an easy spring. While Jacob was busy with his part time job in the local garage, taking his own classes to test out of his own senior year early as well as running the pack, the girls had been busy studying for their final exams as well as figuring the cost to open their own bakery in a year or two.

While the occasional vampire did still pass through, it was relatively quiet for the moment. Bella and Angela were now spending their final weekend together down on the shores of First Beach. They'd be graduating tomorrow evening before celebrating their well earned freedom from school- at least until they started their college courses. It left all of the girls, restless for it to be over with.

Kim was the only one not with them. She was stuck at home sick and moping because she'd be missing the time spent with the pack. Leah couldn't wait to leave, and Nicole wanted to see her friends and sisters nervously walking across the stage. It was then turned on her, that they'd pay her back when it came time for HER to graduate- something that had her gulping and laughing nervously.

They were accompanied by Amy Holt- the JV Forks High cheerleading captain. She and Seth had been dating for the past few months, and none of the pack could stand her. Seth simply claimed she was nice enough when she wasn't hanging out with Lauren and Jessica. It was learned- much to Leah's horror- that Seth and Amy were also fooling around and so he was given less flack about his pick of girlfriends.

Rachel was reluctantly engaged in a conversation with Amy, the demon spawn as Leah called her, and praying the boys would come back from cliff diving soon. The girl put Rachel to shame with her snobby personality. She thanked the spirits yet again that Bella had knocked some sense into her before it had been too late. Life in the pack would have been miserable for her if she hadn't been set straight.

They all had to stifle a laugh when Amy jumped and screeched loudly. A howl in the woods almost directly behind them had more than scared her. It was either Brady or Collin letting the pack know it was time to change shifts.

Emily eyed her curiously for a moment. "Is everything ok Amy?"

She had nothing against non natives- Nicole, Bella and Angela were all well loved members of the pack- but this one in particular made her skin crawl. Her bleached blonde head was full of glitter from the glitter spray she had used right before meeting everyone on the beach and her make up was entirely too caked on for a 16 year old to be wearing. She rolled her eyes mentally- who wore make up to the beach?

Leah made it her personal mission to torment the girl as much as she could before she left in the coming month and a half. She arched an eyebrow at the girl when she whimpered. It was sad to say, none of them really liked her all that much. She was rude, dramatic and conceited. Bella, Bella killed her with kindness. She took every subtly veiled insult and smiled- something that Amy could not stand.

Angela did her best to not sneer at the girl when she asked why the howl had sounded so close. The pack knew it was bad when even she wouldn't say anything nice to her.

Nicole did nothing to hide the disdain she felt for the girl. "It's probably in the woods. Seeing as we're in the shade of the trees, it's more than likely close to us." She said with a teasing grin.

Leah smirked. "Don't worry. I'm sure it's not hungry enough to come onto the beach right now. But if it is, everyone knows blondes are normally the first to be chased and eaten. Especially those that can't get away fast enough."

Angela clamped her lips together and looked away. Both she and Bella had to bite the inside of their cheeks to keep from laughing openly. Nicole shrugged- she was a blonde too, having just dyed her hair- and took a sip of her water. Emily and Rachel shoved their noses into books to try and hide the smirks on their faces. It was too easy for Leah to be cruel sometimes.

Amy gaped at them. "They would actually attack us? You just let them live here on the reservation?!"

"Why wouldn't they?" Angela finally asked. She had schooled her voice to sound genuinely curious.

"Well… I mean… but… are you sure they won't come out?" Amy asked a little too fearfully.

Rachel arched an eyebrow. "You mean to tell me you're scared of the big bad wolf?"

She was saved from answering by the arrival of the boys. They had come back to the small group of girls after diving from the cliffs. Amy jumped up and made a bee line right into Seth's startled arms. The wolves watched as each of the girls scoffed. Paul grinned and shook his head. There was something to be said for their mates- they were vicious in their own right.

"Sethy! We heard a wolf right near the beach! I was so scared!" Amy cried. "The girls said it wouldn't eat us! But it was SO close! You never said there were WOLVES on the reservation! I wouldn't have come here if I had known that! Do you know how dangerous they are?!"

Sam and Jacob smirked. If she only knew how close to the truth she was. Collin and Brady, who had joined the pack on the cliffs for the final jump, merely chuckled.

Bella scanned the pack and noticed that Quil, Embry and Jared were missing. She arched an eyebrow to Jacob when he sat beside her. "Where's Jay?"

"With Kim. She called him to say she's feeling a little bit better now that she's had some of Emily's soup that she dropped off earlier. He went to spend some time with her and he said to tell you she's sorry for not coming." He told her before kissing her shoulder. They were sitting in a loose circle enjoying the close proximity to one another as well as the stillness and serenity of the air around them.

Amy sniffed and lay her head on Seth's shoulder after he settled into the sand with her on his lap. "Are you sure she's not pregnant? She's not showing yet, but I wouldn't put it past her to end up pregnant. Wouldn't it be funny if it wasn't Jared's baby?" She mused. It was the wrong thing to say as the girls went on the offensive.

"And just what does THAT mean?" Emily asked with a raised eyebrow.

Sam watched Emily's shoulders square. All around him, the other girls were doing the same thing. It was intriguing to see just how tough the wolf girls could get and he raised an eyebrow at Seth when all of them turned their heated eyes onto Amy. She didn't stand a chance if she kept talking without thinking. He almost felt bad for Seth.

Amy shrugged. "I've seen her hanging all over your boyfriends. Are you so sure that she's loyal to Jared?"

"Just WHAT are you implying, Amy?" Angela asked with a sneer on her lips. Embry tried to quell her temper by nuzzling her neck but it wasn't helping too much.

Amy shrugged. "It's nothing that bad if you were willing to forgive them. But I know I'd never forgive the person I was dating for cheating. Let alone with a close friend of mine." She answered with a shrug.

Paul turned Rachel's head towards his to seal her lips in a kiss. Given the chance, she would have strangled the girl otherwise. Seth inwardly groaned and sighed. "Amy, that really wasn't nice. You don't know her."

Bella and the other girls watched with mild interest as Amy's head shot up off of Seth's shoulder. The wolves, who were sitting with their respective mates, noticed the tension growing and watched on eager to see who would break it first. Collin and Brady were making a quiet bet between them that Seth was going to be single by the end of the day- happily so.

Amy glared at her boyfriend, not knowing that she was poking a sleeping predator. She stood and stormed a little ways down the beach out of hearing reach of everyone- so she guessed. Seth only cursed under his breath. He had had a feeling something would happen today, but the girls had insisted he bring her with them as a way to show her that she had nothing to worry about from them.

Sam grinned. "You better go and see what's got her so upset."

"Do us a favor, break up with her… please." Emily begged only being somewhat playful.

His sister, however, didn't hold back from letting her opinion be known. "Stupid ass drama queen just doesn't like Seth defending someone else probably." She quipped.

Seth rolled his eyes at her. He walked over to Amy and sat beside her. "What's the matter Amy? You've got everyone worried about you. Are you upset about something?"

Amy turned her head towards him and glared. "You're defending another GIRL! Yet you won't come to my rescue when you just dump me with friends of yours that I don't even know so you can go jump off a cliff all day long! I had to put up with them talking about things and people I didn't know anything about and not to mention…your sister HATES me!"

The pack chuckled lightly from their places in the sand. Seth was doing an amazing job of keeping the wolf in him on a tight leash. It didn't like the way the little brat of a girl was yelling at them. She was bold, but she'd be less bold if she knew just what he was capable of. Jacob was about to intervene, he could see the wolf prowling inside the iron cage that was Seth's will power. Before he could say anything, Bella rested her hand on his and shook her head. She had faith that he could handle it.

Seth took a deep breath and forced his body to cooperate. He rubbed a soothing hand down Amy's arm and kissed her cheek. "Kim is a really good friend of mine, Amy. She's a good friend to all of us here, and I don't think any of us like that she's being badmouthed and judged. My sister doesn't hate you, she just doesn't know you. You said you wanted to get to know my friends, I didn't think there would be anything wrong with you staying with them for a few hours. But I can see why they got mad at you for talking about Kim like that." He explained.

"That's just it, Seth! She's a friend! She's not your girlfriend, Seth. I am. Do you know how bad it looks to them that you don't spend any time with me at all? You're never around anymore, and the only time I've seen you is in school! I'm beginning to wonder if you're not sleeping with one of those other girls over there too." She huffed.

Seth stared at her in shock. "What? Amy-"

"And it's hard to believe that you say those girls are really important to your friends when Bella Swan is included in that group. I've heard horror stories about her and Edward from Lauren and Jessica. She makes her way around with all of the guys in school. And she parades Jacob around in the parking lot like a piece of meat! I've seen her after school with him! They're disgusting together!" She had no clue how close his wolf was to breaking free at that moment. Bella was his pack's alpha female. He couldn't believe this was the girl he'd been dating for the past month.

"Where is all of this coming from? I've never known you to be this jealous." He sighed.

Amy blanched. "You think I'm jealous?! Of them?! Seth, I may not like that you're friends with those girls, but I'm not jealous- not of THEM! I'm pissed because you're supposed to be with ME! Not with anyone else. You're always spending time with your friends. I can't believe you'd think I'd be jealous of those girls! They're not even that pretty! I mean… they're…"

"Just stop. Please. Amy, those are my friends. You may not be jealous, maybe that was wrong word to use, but damn it, don't bad mouth them like this!" Seth growled.

Seth's wolf growled and pawed at the steel trap door of his mind. He wanted to be free to show the little girl beside him a lesson in keeping her mouth shut. He'd never betray his brothers that way. He was saved from any embarrassing mishaps when Paul jogged over to him. His yellow eyes slowly faded once again to brown and he wiped a hand over his face to try and wipe away some of the built tension.

"Hey, Seth, the guys are gonna play some football, you in?" Both he and Seth noticed the open lustful once over from Amy.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a few. Amy, you want to go back over to the girls and watch us?" He asked.

Amy stood with a huff and shook her head. She never noticed the way Leah was holding Bella and Rachel back, nor did she noticed the glares from Emily. "I'm going home. Seth, I'll call you later." She said stiffly.

Bella had to bite back a litany of phrases as Amy walked past them with her nose stuck in the air not even sparing them a backwards glance as she stomped angrily off of the beach. Her proverbial hackles had raised when Jacob told them what had been said. She had jumped up then with the intent of going over to see if everything was alright and pretending to overhear what was being said. It wasn't until she had started talking about Kim and the other girls that Bella had even been mad. When what was said about Bella came out, Rachel was quick to go to bat for the girl.

The wolves had looked on in amusement as Leah struggled to calm down both the alphas mate and his sister. There was definitely something to be said about the wolf girls- they were made of stronger stuff indeed. Emily sighed and stood with Angela and Nicole following her lead, making their way over to the two girls to give them soothing hugs.

"Don't let her get to you. We all know the truth. And IF Kim is pregnant- which I think the pack would have known if she was by now- then we'll help her out like the family we are. Now come on, lets head back to the house for some downtime before we eat. You have to be well rested to deal with the pack tomorrow." Emily told them.

Bella groaned and eyed them. "You guys are gonna embarrass the hell out of me huh."

"Yes ma'am!" They chorused.

Bella and Angela rolled their eyes. "Thrills."

~*~*~*~

Bella sighed and rubbed her temples for the hundredth time since walking through the doors of the gymnasium. It was apparent now that Amy and Seth were no longer together, and while the pack couldn't have been more happy, Bella was now miserable. Amy had gone straight to Lauren and Jessica. Sitting in her seat next to Jessica waiting for her name to be called, she couldn't avoid the heated sideways glares sent her way from the blonde haired girl.

She almost missed it when her name was called as she made her way onto the makeshift stage. Thunderous roars of elation and loud applause followed her as she shook the principle's hand and took her seat again. With the ceremony over, their class was given a final congratulations and they were dismissed into the care of their families.

Bella grinned when she was lifted above the crowd by Jacob. His pride in her, as well as that of the pack and her family was seen in their eyes. Pictures with her dad, Billy, old Quil, even Sue were taken all before her friends from school could even make their way to her. Charlie grinned down at her, the only regret being that Renee wasn't there to share in her joy too.

"I'm so proud of you, Bells. You did it!" Charlie grinned.

Bella smiled, thanking the spirits, the gods, fate and any other holy deity that she had stayed home when Alice had come to swiftly carry her off. She could have missed out of seeing her dad become a grandfather, leaving him to wonder if he could have done something more to rescue his little girl. Instead, she got to see her and Jacob married, her pregnant, her after she had her first child- he got to see her live.

"Bella! Hey… I just wanted to say congratulations. We finally survived high school." Mike said trying to throw an arm around her shoulder.

Bella smiled. "That we did. I'm just glad it's over till I start my classes online."

"So you're staying here then?" Mike asked her with a raised eyebrow.

Jacob walked up behind her and snaked his arms around her waist. "Yeah, she's staying here till I finish my summer courses. I'm testing out early so I can be done with school too." He said.

Mike nodded. "Well… that's um… that's cool, I guess." He said not really knowing how he felt about it. His crush on Bella had never gone away.

"Hey, Mike, um… I'll see you around. My friends and I are going out to celebrate." Bella told him as she walked off.

Jacob grinned. "He still likes you."

"Are you jealous, Jake? Of him of all people?" Bella teased.

A snort was her answer. "Not likely. The marshmallow doesn't have anything on me." He said with a grin.

"And there's my cocky wolf man.." Bella almost purred as she pulled him closer for a kiss.

Jacob grinned. "Well, this cocky wolf man has a question for you…"

"What is it?" Bella asked while titling her head to look up at him.

He rubbed the back of his neck and watched their dads laughing and teasing one another. The pack had made themselves scarce, either that or they were pretending to not listen in. Jacob sighed. "Move in with me?"

Bella blinked at him. She was quiet for a long while before grabbing his hand in hers to start walking towards their family and friends. "I'll make you a deal…"

Jacob's wolf perked up. She hadn't outright refused him. That had to be a good thing. "Ok… what's the deal?" He asked her.

"You have to wait until you test out and pass. It gives you time to be less distracted by me, and it'll give you time to make room in the house for me too." She told him when he shot her a raised eyebrow.

"I can live with that. Dad already said I could add on. So that's what I'll be doing in my spare time. Well that, and working." He teased.

Bella grinned. The only damper on her good mood was the knowledge that in a month, Leah would be moving away for school. She sighed and got into her truck with Jacob, Angela and Embry. They were off to have dinner in Port Angelas. She could worry about saying goodbye to her friend later, tonight was about spending time with friends and family- celebrating her decision to live.


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer:  
All characters and known situations belong to their respective owners. Everything else came from my own mind- scary place that it is sometimes. In no way shape or form have I made or intended to make a profit from this story…. All rights still belong to Stephanie… though it's a shame she never did anything more with the wolves… ah well.. There's always fan fiction

Author's Notes:  
I'm not entirely thrilled with this chapter, but I also wanted to introduce Leah's new guy and allow him to meet the pack as the only male imprint. That and Jacob and Bella having their own place now while working towards getting their respective businesses up and running. Like it, love it, hate it, lol… It's here.

Thank you guys so much for the awesome reviews and feedback. Makes me smile to see it ^_^

Chapter 14

"Leah… are you sure they're going to be ok with me being here?"

Leah smiled and turned around to look at the man who had completely stolen her heart. His handsome face was creased with worry that radiated from his gentle grey eyes. His jet black hair was pulled back into a pony tail that sat at the base of his neck. Her eyes roamed over his broad shoulders, down to his muscled arms and toned body. She loved the caramel color of his skin, just a shade darker than her own due to a life time spent in the Alabama summer sun. This man was her best friend, her lover, her confidant- next to Bella- and her soul mate.

"They're going to love you Tristan. Just please, I told you, my friends can be a little… crazy. Don't let them scare you. I'm not going to feed you willingly to the wolves." She snickered.

Tristan took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, standing to his full height- a mere 6'3"and sighed. They were outside Jacob's front door after having been on the road for almost 48 hours the day before hand. Sue had sent them straight to bed as soon as they were through her front door. Now, after having slept all night long and most of the day, they were about to be thrown to the wolves- literally. Leah hadn't seen her pack since she left the month after Bella graduated. She could hear them wrestling around and had to chuckle.

With a knock on the door, the house went quiet. Bella gave a small giddy squeal along with the other girls in the house. Leah shook her head and listened to Bella and Rachel as the two almost raced to see who would get to the door first. In the time that Leah had been gone, she had done an almost 180 in personality. Now that she and Paul were together officially, she was more like Jacob, more like the girl she used to be before her mother's death had hardened her heart.

Jacob chuckled as the two fought good naturedly to reach the door first. He knew Leah was bringing her boyfriend home. He also was the only one who knew that he was her imprint. He had overheard Leah telling Bella about it on the phone. She was finally healed- and the last one to imprint- and he couldn't have been happier for her.

"Come on in. don't mind the chaos, you'll get used to it soon enough. They're harmless mostly. If they get too obnoxious, the girls will handle it." Rachel told Tristan with a small chuckle.

A deep laugh echoed it. "I'm sure they can't be that bad." He answered politely.

The wolves shuddered at the very thinly veiled threat. She had said it on purpose knowing they would all be listening it. Brady didn't have to say anything- the pack knew. Wolf girls were scary when they were mad. And when they were all together- it was downright horrifying. They were their own pack, and at the top of the pack pecking order was Bella. If she was angry or upset- everyone was in trouble.

Leah's familiar scent hit the pack's noses as soon as the door was opened. It was followed soon after by the smell of sage, grease and rubber. Jacob smirked when he had learned that Tristan was a mechanic by trade. He watched as his pack took in the scent, letting it waft over their slightly open mouths before Seth stood and made his way to his sister when they came into the living area at the back of the house.

"Lee lee… what has mom told you about bringing strays home?" He teased as he pulled her into a hug.

Leah glared but hugged her brother tight to her. "Shut it you. Last time I checked you were the one to bring the strays home. And we all known I put YOUR strays down when they because too much of a handful."

Seth chuckled and held his hand out to Tristan. "Hi, I'm Seth, Leah's brother. We spoke on the phone a few weeks back."

Tristan nodded. "I remember. It's good to put a face to the name." He grinned.

"So, Tristan, let me introduce the guys… I'll start with Bella and her boyfriend- Jacob. Then you have Embry his girlfriend Angela, Quil and his girlfriend Nicole. You've met Rachel, that lazy mutt of a man on the couch is her boyfriend Paul."

"Hey! Leah!" Paul huffed causing Bella and Rachel to giggle. He had definitely calmed down since having Rachel on his arm.

Tristan took in the faces Leah had pointed out and tried to commit them to memory. These were her friends. She had called them family. He smiled and shook the hands offered, completely shocked when the girls simply gave him hugs.

"You get used to it. Trust me." A voice said from behind them. "Hi, I'm Kim. This is my man Jared." She said before hugging him.

"I'm glad everyone is so welcoming." Tristan said with a smile.

Leah grinned. "Only a few more to go, I promise. Hey, where are Collin and Brady?"

Seth rolled his eyes. "They'll be here soon. They went to go get their girls."

Jared snorted. "Speak of the devils and they shall appear." He said nodding his head out the front window.

"Do you not like them that much?" Tristan wondered.

Quil shrugged. "They're just… prissy."

"Not another Amy?" Leah asked Bella.

Bella shook her head. No… but very… girly." She grinned when Leah whined. "Seth's girl is amazing though."

Seth grinned. "Yeah, you'll meet Maggie tomorrow. She's visiting her grandmother." He told them watching as Brady and Collin followed their girlfriends into the room.

Sam watched as introductions were made and took his turn to shake Tristan's hand. "Hey, I'm Sam, this is my girlfriend Emily. Pleased to meet the guy who stole Leah's heart." He joked.

The pack laughed when Leah blushed. "Shut it Sam." She huffed.

"I'm happy to have stolen it. She's got quite a few guys nursing broken hearts around campus." Tristan grinned.

Leah rolled her eyes. "Don't listen to him. Save for Tristan, there's no guys who really talk to me."

"I beg to differ. You have guys trying to approach you all the time. She just won't give them the time of day." He teased.

Leah protested when she saw the girls' eyes narrow at her. "It's not that bad!"

Bella's feathers were ruffled at the fact that Leah wasn't telling her everything that was going on at school. "Alright… girls… kitchen… Tristan, we'll give her back in a few minutes." She said dragging a protesting Leah behind her. The girls dutifully followed behind the older women, intent on staying on Bella's good side.

"I hope I didn't get her into trouble. Bella looks angry now." Tristan said with a worried frown.

Embry chuckled. "Nope. She'll be fine. Bella has Napoleon syndrome. She's tiny so she has to pretend to be big and fierce. They're just going to gossip."

"Well that's a relief. I was beginning to wonder if I hadn't just fed her to a den of lions." Tristan quipped.

Seth shrugged. "More like wolves. Female wolves at that. Those girls are vicious when they wanna be."

Jacob laughed along with the rest of the pack. "So.. Tristan… what do you do for a living?" He asked after guiding the man to sit down with them.

"I'm a mechanic actually. I'm taking courses in psychology though." He told him honestly.

Quil offered him a drink and sat next to him. "That's cool. What made you choose that, if I'm allowed to ask."

Tristan smiled in thanks. "My best friend growing up is one of a few reasons. We didn't know he was being abused until he started becoming… withdrawn, I guess would be the best way to put it. It took me a little over a year and a half to crack through the wall he put up, but once I did, I literally became the one person to hold him together. His step dad… he was a piece of work." He all but growled out darkly.

"So where are you from originally. Leah said you were native American, but she kept most of the details to herself. She said she'd have to share you enough come winter." Jared grinned.

Paul nodded. "Yeah, all she told us- our girls more than us- was that you're name was Tristan, you're native American and you're 20.

Tristan laughed. "She did say it would be like feeding me to the wolves. I think I was more nervous about meeting the people she grew up with rather than holding my own against a down to earth group of guys. Some of the men from my reservation are more rambunctious. I'm Creek by the way."

Brady grinned. "That's cool. So are you gonna do what Leah is, get a degree then move back home?"

"I don't think so. I love my tribe, but I had to get away." Tristan said after a minute. A small, sad smile danced on his lips as he stared down at the can of Mountain Dew in his hands.

Sam tilted his head in curiosity. "Why is that? If I can ask."

"Sure. It's just… a lot of bad memories. I've had a few really bad relationships. Before Leah… I was known as the sweet go to guy for a shoulder to cry on. I was raised by a man who viewed women as the gods gift to earth. So I have a healthy respect for them. I think Leah has a hard time seeing it sometimes. From the moment I saw her, and it was like nothing else I've ever known. No one else has mattered but her, at least not as much. She's… amazing. I already told her when she asked me, when she moves back, if we're still together, I'll come with her."

Jacob grinned while the rest of the pack stared in shock. They had found out what Jacob had known since an hour after it had happened. She had yet to tell him about the she wolf that took up residence in her mind, but he was confident Tristan would know before winter break was over. He looked at Sam who seemed only mildly shocked. His brothers were all in various stages of either shock or happiness, with Seth being the most pleased.

"Alright, I hope you guys are hungry. These cookies just came out of the oven. And Quil, no you can't take a tray full home for later." Angela grinned as she led the girls back out into the room. She grabbed a cookie and perched herself on Embry's lap before offering him a bite of the chocolate chip delight.

Leah mimicked Angela and curled up on Tristan's lap. The wolves were shocked to see such an open display of affection coming from their lone female wolf. It was as if the stoic woman she was had been replaced with the sweet natured one before them. She turned and looked him over, checking to make sure he was well and truly in one piece.

Tristan chuckled. "I'm fine. They just asked basic questions. I promise." He teased.

"Yeah, well… they're being tame right now. They've got their girls in the house to keep them in line." She snickered.

"HEY!" Leah out right laughed at the indignation in the shout.

Tristan poked her ribs causing Leah to squeal. The sound was so out of character for her, the wolves couldn't help dropping their jaws. Even Seth was looking at her as if she were some stranger impersonating his sister.

"Be nice Leah Bean." He whispered in her ear before nipping lightly on her lobe.

Leah nuzzled his neck and all but forgot she was in front of her pack. "If you insist."

Bella cleared her throat and shook her head. She was entirely happy for Leah. The woman she knew had come a long way to shine as she was now. It made her think back to just after Leah had first phased. What would have happened if Bella hadn't talked to her. What would have happened if she had let the pack tease and antagonize her for hours on end as they sometimes joked about. More over, what would have happened if she and Emily had never made right the wrongs between them?

Jacob chuckled and nuzzled the exposed skin of her neck, kissing right over his mark. Her eyes slid closed gently as she hummed and tilted her head back to rest on his shoulder. The action gave Jacob more access to her delectably pale skin and his wolf hummed in content. It was their turn to be brought back out of their own world by none other than Charlie.

"Dad!" Bella grinned and jumped up to hug him.

Charlie grinned and hugged her back. "You forgot your books at the house." He told her gently. "I'm off to Sues. Leah, Seth, your mom wants you guys to come home tonight for dinner."

Seth grinned at Leah's gob smacked face. "Sure Charlie. We'll be there… is 7 ok?"

Charlie nodded and walked out. Bella giggled when Leah rounded on her. "WHEN did that happen?!"

Bella tried her best to look innocent. "When did what happen?"

"Don't you play innocent with me Isabella Marie Swan!" Leah huffed playfully.

Seth and Tristan snorted in amusement. Tristan found himself almost wishing they could stay here after the winter holidays were over. The familiarity of this group, the friendship and sense of kinship, it had him longing to feel something like that again. Ever since the death of his mother when he was 13, his father had still treated women the same, but he had closed himself off of everything. It was the other main reason he wanted to study psychology. He has had to watch his father deteriorate in front of him and for the life of him, was helpless to stop it.

Jacob took pity of Leah finally. "They've been dating for about a month now. Billy, Joy, Tiffany and Allison had to almost knock their heads together to make them see that they liked each other."

"That sounds like mom alright." Leah huffed. "So how are the classes going you guys? Are you any closer to getting ready to open the bakery?" She asked effectively changing the subject.

Tristan shook his head in amusement. Leah always did that when she didn't want to dwell on anything. He smiled and listened as the girls became more animated at the thought of the bakery they wanted to open on the reservation. He watched their eyes light up as they playfully teased one another and joked with the men in the room. When his eyes met Sam's he frowned. There had been a pang of something he'd seen there- something almost sad as he watched Leah.

It wasn't until a little bit later on- once most of the pack members had left- that Tristan learned Sam was Leah's ex. He finally understood what the sadness in Sam's eyes had been from. It was sad to see a first love moving on at the best of times. He was thankful Sam had the grace to admit that she was happy in her new relationship.

He had loved meeting Bella. For such a small woman, she ran a tight ship and had all of the boys jumping when she told them to jump. It was downright amusing to say the least. He loved watching Bella come to life as she talked about the bakery she and her friends wanted to open. He was skeptical at first, most women who claimed to be able to cook had some skill, yes, but Bella blew his taste buds out of the water when the first bite of his cookie touched his lips. Leah had watched him with amusement shining in her eyes as he gushed over them. Bella had effectively turned him into a simpering fool with just one bite of junk food.

Leah sighed from her place on the couch. It was finally just her, Tristan and Seth left in Jacob and Bella's new home. She curled herself into Tristan and smiled at Bella and Jacob. The two were lost in their own world for a moment before Seth cleared his throat. The elder's had gifted the young couple with it after Jacob had graduated. All the additions that Jacob had been making to Billy's house were taken over by Paul and he and Rachel had moved in to help take care of Billy, greatly putting Jacob's mind to ease.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Shut it Seth. Or do I need to have a talk with Maggie?" She teased.

"N-no! I was just teasing!" Seth whined.

Leah tilted her head to the side. "Who's Maggie again?"

"Seth's girlfriend." Jacob said, coming to his rescue.

Tristan shook his head and poked Leah in the side playfully. "Don't pick on your little brother! It's mean."

"Oh trust me… Leah and mean used to go hand in hand." Seth said while Jacob nodded.

"HEY!" Leah huffed before a giggle escaped her lips. Bella had smacked Jacob's head for agreeing with Seth. Tristan merely shook his head.

"I'm sure you couldn't have been that bad." Tristan told her with a smile.

Bella grabbed Leah's hand after a few minutes of silence, telling the guys still sitting down they were going to make some coffee. Once they were in the kitchen, Bella turned the radio on as well as started filling the coffee pot.

"What's got you so…not happy?" Bella wondered.

Leah watched her and shrugged. "For the first time in a very long time, I don't feel any kind of pain, or anger. I'm… happy. I'm going to school for my degree, I've got an amazing boyfriend, and my pack seems to like him. I just don't want things to change."

"Why would they change Leah?"

She sighed. "I haven't told him about the imprint yet. What if he doesn't want to come back here with me? I promised Jake I'd come back. But if he doesn't want to, then I'd stay near him. I can't be away from him for too long."

Bella giggled. "I'm sure he'll be ok. Look at what he's done to see you smile so far. I mean, you've known him since September, been dating him since Halloween, and now he's here in your territory for Christmas. I think it's a safe bet to say he'll be ok."

Leah grinned. She noticed Bella's text books and thumbed through them. "Jeez Bella. You guys are really serious about this aren't you? I mean… this is some hard stuff." She teased.

Bella shrugged. "Emily and Kim are helping. We're each taking a different course. Emily is taking a class for graphic design and advertisement. Kim is taking one for business management. I told them I'd take the class for accounting. Its grueling, but it does what we need it to do. Within the next year, we should have enough money to get the bakery up and almost ready to be opened. We've been looking into furnishings and kitchen supplies… that's going to be the expensive part."

Leah smiled. "You'll have to tell me about it if I'm not here to see it." She made her promise.

Bella fixed them all cups of coffee, asking Leah to carry the creamer and sugar back out to the living room with her. "Here you go guys. Sorry, we started talking."

"No worries. Jacob and Seth were entertaining me with stories about you two. Baby, you never told me you had so many funny moments in your past." Tristan teased.

Jacob watched Tristan watching her and couldn't help but smile. Leah had found her happiness. He smiled when Bella slid into his lap with a cup of coffee for him made just the way he liked it. He inhaled the smell and sighed. Work was exhausting, running the pack was draining and school seemed to be trying to drag him into the mud. All of that disappeared whenever Bella was in his arms. She was right where she needed to be.

"So, Jacob, Leah has told me that you're looking to open your own garage. Can I ask why? I don't mean to be rude, but I noticed one in Forks on the way here. Wouldn't people just go there instead?" Tristan asked.

Jacob grinned. "I wanted to open one here to help people out on the rez first and foremost. I've been working on cars since I was just a kid, had my first car completely built by the time I was 16. It grew from there." He said with a shrug. "With the garage here, more jobs are available, and with it being closer to home, the prices won't be as high. At least that's my goal."

Tristan nodded. "I love meeting fellow gear heads. I've been working on cars since I was little too. My neighbor taught me everything he knew about them."

Leah snickered. "That's how I met him. My room mate's car broke down. She was in tears and I had just popped the hood to see if I could find anything wrong. I heard him asking if we needed help and my room mate telling him that I had it under control."

"The phone call!" Jacob laughed.

Leah rolled her eyes at that. "Yeah, the phone call."

"Care to enlighten the rest of the class?" Seth wondered with a raised eyebrow.

Bella giggled having heard about this story from Jacob after it happened. "Leah called Jake thinking that maybe he could talk her through finding the problem."

"I hadn't even gotten a chance to talk to him before Tristan's face was in my line of view. He had just gotten off of work and was poking his head under the hood right next to mine. Turns out something was wrong with the radiator valve…tube…line… something…" Leah said with a wave of her hands.

Tristan grinned. "Her radiator was cracked right down the middle and the hose was leaking too. When I asked her if she knew about it, she told me that when she saw it, she immediately let her boyfriend know about it. He had told her he looked at it and didn't see the problem. He tried to fix it with superglue."

"Damn. What an idiot!" Jacob cringed.

"She dumped him a month later. But Tristan sent her to his garage. The owner's son is now her boyfriend so she got a new car to drive around in." Leah snickered.

Bella shook her head. "That's just… wow. Well I'm glad Tristan stopped."

"Of course I would. Have you seen this gorgeous creature bent over under the hood of a car with daisy dukes on?" He teased.

Seth shuddered. "Um… hello… brother sitting right here!" He grizzled.

"Aww, it's ok sethy, we still wuv you!" Leah teased him causing them all to laugh.

Seth hopped up and hugged her. "Don't forget dinner tonight at mom's. It's getting late." He reminded her. "Bella, Jake, I'm heading out. Gotta get some things done." He told them. In reality, it was his turn to patrol.

It wasn't too long after that, that the house was quiet again. Bella sighed and took all the used dishes to the kitchen. She smiled when she felt Jacob's arms wrap around her waist. Her head tilted to the side and she hummed when his lips met the skin of her neck.

"I'm glad she's happy." He whispered.

Bella nodded. "You know he offered to help us out with the costs of the bakery? That was before he had even met us yet."

"Oh?"

"I guess he sees it as a good way to bribe us into liking him, but Leah told me he was willing to give us two hundred dollars towards a down payment. It's not that much, but, it still floored us." Bella mused as Jacob picked up a dish towel to dry the dishes.

"That is kind of cool though. I talked to Leah before they left. She's going to tell him tonight. It'll be the first time Leah has phased since she started school in September." Jacob mused.

"It'll work itself out. Have a little faith in your sister." She said before bending over to put one of the big cooking pots away.

Bella turned to stare at Jacob when she heard him groan. She loved teasing him and his wolf when they were alone, she mused that it was fun to force him to lose control every once in a while- tonight was no exception. She grinned when he stalked closer to her after the final pan was put back into it's rightful spot. With a playful smirk, a dish towel was thrown in his face and she darted out of the kitchen. She hadn't even made it half way to the bedroom before his arms were around her.

Her peals of laughter were silenced when he pinned her to the wall in the hallway. His lips met hers as he pressed his ever growing need in between her parted thighs. Her gasps filled the tense air before they separated just enough for her shirt to come off of her body.

Jacob inhaled her scent deeply, his eyes turning gradually more yellow. "You're not supposed to run from a predator little mate."

"Jake…" She gasped when he nipped at her mark in playful reprimand.

It was a whispered plea. She needed him in that moment. She wanted to feel his body against hers, feel him sliding into her body over and over.

"What do you want Bella." Jacob purred running the tip of his nose against her jaw line.

Bella swallowed and bucked her hips against his. "Please!" She whined. Her nails dug into the flesh of his shoulders as her lips attacked his neck. She let a satisfied smirk dance onto her lips when she felt him shudder against her at the fleeting sting. Desire flooded the pit of her stomach as Jacob nipped and sucked against the sensitive skin of her neck, right over the mark he had already given her.

"Tell me Bells. What do you want?" Jacob asked her again, he and his wolf seeming to meld their voices into one as the question rolled out in a quiet but husky growl.

"I want you, Jake. It'll always be you." Bella whispered. She squealed when he gathered her to him and all but ran the rest of the way to their bedroom.

Their jeans were torn from their bodies and Bella's back hit the mattress of their bed before she realized what had happened. Above her, the man she loved was poised and waiting for an answer. She grinned and pulled his body flush to hers. The only barrier that still separated them was the black lace boy shorts and matching black lace bra.  
They were engulfed in the heat of passion as Jacob ripped away the last remaining barrier of clothing, his lips and fingers worked in tandem to swiftly bring Bella to a writhing mess on the bed. Her words were almost incoherent as she begged and pleaded with him to allow her the release she craved.

"You look so sexy like this, my little mate." He purred into her ear quietly.

Bella's eyes flashed with ill hidden lust as she listened to her wolf talking above her. It may have been Jacob's body, but his wolf was in control for the moment. And Jacob was willingly watching from the sidelines as Bella screamed her release, her back arching from the bed.

"Jake…"

Jacob smiled, the yellow in his eyes receding away gradually. "I'm here, Bells. I've got you." He promised.

"Don't… you don't have to lock your wolf away Jake. I love you both." Bella said as Jacob pushed into her willing body slowly.

Jacob smiled down at her. "We're still here." He whispered. "Always."

Bella smiled. "Better stay that way." She said before giving over to the pleasure of having him fill her over and over. She would worry about everything else later. For now, she was safe and definitely loved, and she was content.


	16. Chapter 15

Disclaimer:  
All characters and known situations belong to their respective owners. Everything else came from my own mind- scary place that it is sometimes. In no way shape or form have I made or intended to make a profit from this story…. All rights still belong to Stephanie… though it's a shame she never did anything more with the wolves… ah well.. There's always fan fiction

Authors Notes:  
Ok ladies and gents! We're down to the wire. You all are so amazingly awesome for sticking with this. It really does make me smile and squeal- my twin can tell ya all 'bout that .- I've got another fanfic in the works now… simply because my original stories are all causing me writers block from hell .  
Anyways, enjoy… I may do a few out takes… moments in the story that were simply glossed over… lemme know what y'all think.

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Chapter 15

Bella sighed and fell backwards into the cool, shaded, pebbled sand beneath her. Her baggy shirt hid her slight baby bump from prying eyes. So far, only the pack and the imprints knew she was pregnant. Of course she had told her dad and Billy as well. While they were a little less than pleased, it didn't take them long after seeing the ultrasound confirming Bella was carrying twins to warm up to the idea. She shook her head in memory. Mating season- something none of them had been told about until Old Quil stumbled upon it in one of the oldest journals the elders had.

They had all of them been worried about her becoming pregnant. She still had vampire venom running in her blood that would never leave. However, Bella begged Old Quil's help, and together, they were put at ease by the spirits. It wasn't a direct answer, but the shaman was told Bella would survive this pregnancy and any other she was to have. The venom was in a sort of stasis without a vampires power to keep it active. They had all breathed a sigh of relief at that. Bella even learned from the spirits themselves that it would never affect her pups, something that had almost brought tears to her eyes.

As soon as she got over the shock of becoming pregnant, she and Jacob went back and tried to remember just when she had failed to take her pills. It was something of a religious habit for her. It was then that they realized just what time of the year it was that she had gotten pregnant. The imprints still on the pill quickly changed over to a shot. It was after all, Jacob's wolf who had been so determined to see her round with their child. She didn't mind so much, she had always known in the back of her mind that eventually she and Jacob would become parents, she just wondered if it was still too soon sometimes.

She sighed and brought herself from those thoughts- it was a dangerous road to travel down without someone to talk to about her fears of becoming a mother like the one she had- and rested her hand over her stomach with a calm smile on her lips. A little ways down from the group of trees she was seeking shelter under, the other girls were soaking in the sun on a rare cloudless day. Time had seemingly flown by, and now the summer was here again. Leah was on her way home with Tristan in tow. The last time she had heard anything, they were an hour away and had promised to meet them on the beach.

Giggles from her left caused her to crack one eye open and peer at the youngest of the imprints. Bella smiled and watched them huddled together with pens to notebooks perched in their laps. They reminded her of Jacob, Quil and Embry. They were thick as thieves, and definitely kept Seth, Collin and Brady on their toes. She sighed and shook her head at them, chuckling when she saw Nicole trying and failing to be sly enough to discover what was so funny to them.

Angela sat down next to Bella and smiled fondly at her friend. It had been a while since they had really taken the time to talk. Her smile grew when she saw Bella crack her eye open again and look at her. There were no words spoken between them, none were really needed. They could be content with the quiet. It's what made them such good friends.

The said quiet, however, was broken when Nicole plopped noisily down beside them with a pout on her lips. Angela chuckled. "What's the matter Nikki?"

Nicole sighed. "Those three are being entirely too secretive. They're up to something." She frowned, racking her brain and trying to find reasons for them to act that way.

"They're only writing a short story. They asked me for my input earlier." Bella said with a smile.

Nicole arched her eyebrow. "A story…" She repeated skeptically.

"It was Claire's idea really. She wants to be a writer and these short stories are based off of the pack. And, before you ask, yes, she changed names and places." Bella giggled along with Angela.

Nicole shook her head and pouted. "Well they could have said that!" She huffed.

"You could have asked too." Angela said poking her side playfully. "I don't know who's worse- you or Quil. Both of you are so nosey." She teased.

Bella giggled. "Quil. By far."

Angela couldn't help but agree. While he didn't pant after every female he saw anymore, Quil was still very much a child at heart. It was clear to see that he could act every bit his 17 years of age deemed mature, but he chose to let a lot of things roll off of his back. He was a perpetual child in the eyes of the adults on the reservation, and he was a source of entertainment and comic relief to his friends and the pack.

Anything else the girls were going to say was cut off by the pack coming over to them with Emily and Rachel in tow. Angela only chuckled when Quil settled his head into Nicole's lap. Nicole, for her part, sighed and smiled sweetly down at him. She had come to love him and there was no changing it.

Bella grinned. "Have fun?" She teased.

Jacob's hands snaked around Bella's stomach as he kissed over his mark. He smirked when she shivered at the barely there kisses placed across her skin. She smiled and placed her hands over his as they rest on her belly. He'd been putting a lot of hours in at his job in the Forks garage and had been missing her. He was determined to have his own garage by the time the girls had their bistro open. He chuckled quietly when he remembered them going back and forth about either a bakery, a café or a coffee shop, and finally it was decided to turn it into a bistro and use elements of all three ideas.

With a chuckle as her answer, Paul followed his lead and dragged Rachel onto his lap before shifting to make himself comfortable. It wouldn't be too much longer before he would have to go out on patrol with Sam. Even though the vampire activity in the area was slowly decreasing, Jacob didn't want to chance not patrolling at all for another few years, though he did drop it down from three wolves to two.

Their group lapsed into silence while they waited for Leah to arrive. It wasn't long before Kim and Jared were running over to them, excitement seeping from their bodies. "They're here. Leah sent me a text saying they were going to be here in a few minutes. They want to talk to Sue first."

"Won't they be tired?" Embry wondered. He remembered how they had driven from Alabama to Washington over the winter break.

"No, they were smart this time around. Tristan has a friend watching his apartment for the couple weeks they'll be here, and Leah's room mate isn't leaving for vacation like they thought. They flew into Port Angelas I think, or somewhere close by…. Driving the rest of the way… it's a lot better than sitting in a car for two days." Rachel shrugged.

"There they are." Jared said with a nod towards a slightly hidden pathway in the trees.

The girls, save for Bella who took her time walking- were up and running in a flash, all of them grinning. Leah was met with tight hugs and squeals of excitement. For her part, she grinned and hugged them all back. She had missed them all, and only being able to see them online through either Skype or Facebook chat had depressed her and her wolf at times.

The pack was next to say hello, and now that Tristan knew what they were, he watched with almost rabid interest as each of them scented her. He shook his head in awe of them and grinned when he noticed them trying to subtly do it to him as well. It pleased them that he hadn't run away screaming when Leah had told him; they had all seen it happen, no thanks to Natalie hooking Bella's lap top up to the big screen TV in her house.

"It's good to be home." Leah finally mused.

Jacob grinned. "It's good to have you two home."

Leah's next words were cut short when Seth, and Collin tackled her to the ground. They had just come back from patrolling. When they stood up, Leah couldn't help but grin at them. It had been a while, she'd give them that. It wasn't until Sam and Paul left and they were all sitting quiet that Leah's head cocked to the side in confusion. There was a feint rhythmic beat behind her ears, she didn't know quite what to make of.

Jacob nudged Seth and smirked. "What's the matter Leah?" He asked.

The attention was drawn to her, her head still cocked to the side, her eyebrows still drawn in confusion. "What the hell IS that?" She wondered.

"It would help if we knew just WHAT it was you were referring to." Seth said with a grin. He was thoroughly enjoying picking on his big sister.

Tristan watched her in open curiosity. He loved that she had told him her secret, in turn, he had whole heartedly accepted it for what it was. Fate. The spirits' way of telling them their paths were meant to have crossed. Now as she sat in his lap, her head tilted to the side, he had to thank whatever holy being again for placing her into his life. Even at her worst, she was still amazing, and it always awed him how in tune she was with her inner wolf.

The girls all snickered. They had decided they would wait for Leah to come home before she was told about the pregnancy. As it stood, the entire pack had only just found out the month before when her twins' heartbeats had become increasingly stronger. The couple was congratulated, and it wasn't two weeks later that Jacob led Bella to their log and proposed. The wedding was to be held after the babies were born- Bella had refused to be pregnant with twins knowing they could come early.

"What does it sound like Leah?" Bella finally asked taking pity on her friend.

"I don't know… it's like a thumping sound almost. Like… a heartbeat…like… a baby's heartbeat…" She started scanning her friends- all of them with smirks on their lips.

Tristan's eyebrows raised in surprise. "You can hear that well?"

"Yeah, part of the wolfy senses we get after we first phase." Collin grinned.

Everyone rolled their eyes. Collin had an obsession with Spiderman. He and Bella got into frequent arguments involving her favorite superhero- Superman- and his favorite, Spiderman. Bella would tell him how much better Superman was than Spiderman and he would argue back that Spiderman was the best. It was a source of great entertainment and, at times, tons of exasperation.

"Here we go…" Seth muttered to Tristan.

Bella rolled her eyes. With the pregnancy came her own version of heightened senses- particularly hearing. Her apatite had also increased ten fold- much to Jacob's pleasure. Tristan watched Bella and Collin go back and forth- almost like a game of tennis with a small, amused smile on his face. In all that time, Leah was watching her best friend with a look of shock on her face.

"It's you." She muttered. It should have been too quiet for Bella to hear, but if Leah had been standing, she would have sunk to the sand in shock.

"It took you long enough." Bella grinned. "Care to guess WHY it's me?"

Seth snickered beside his sister. She had the same look on her face when the rest of the pack had found out. Bella was carrying the first pack pups. Mating season had come and gone, and Jacob and his wolf were the only ones to walk away successful. Bella, it seemed, hated needles and therefore took pills instead. Jacob's wolf had seen fit to keep her in bed all weekend long during February. At the time, valentines weekend spent in bed with her boyfriend had been romantic. Now though, the pack knew that Jacob's wolf had been more in control than they all realized.

"You're pregnant?" Leah was awed as she stared at the place where Jacob and Bella's hand lay intertwined over her stomach.

Jacob grinned. "Twins."

"Congratulations. That's wonderful news." Tristan said breaking Leah from her stupor.

They laughed when she pulled Bella into a gentle hug. The pack had all done that as well. But it seemed with the pregnancy and heightened apatite and senses, Bella's body had become stronger as well. Bella smiled when she was released and laughed when Leah's hands moved to her stomach.

"They're going to be in November… the 12th or something like that… at least the doctor said that's the due date. Then she told us to expect them as early as 36 weeks. So two weeks before Halloween or two weeks after, they'll be here." Bella told her.

Leah frowned. "yeah, but I won't be. I'll be in school."

"But we'll be here fro Christmas. Or if you want, we can come here for Thanksgiving instead of going to see my dad. He's been… distant again." Tristan told her quietly. Naturally, everyone heard him.

The pack all gave him sympathetic smiles. Bella had broken down and told them some of what Leah had told her about Tristan. His dad was an amazing man, but his grips on reality slipped and allowed him to fall into heavy and often times dangerous bouts of depression. Without medication and a neighbor or two to check in on him, Tristan was fearful that he could get a call from someone that his dad was dead.

Leah sighed. "No. I promised you we'd go and see your dad. We can come here for Christmas. That way it gives Bella time to settle into a routine, and Jake won't be such an overbearing ass."

"HEY!" Jacob snapped. He pouted when Bella giggled. "I'm not THAT bad!" He huffed.

Seth snorted. "Yeah, ok! None of us can even HUG Bella without you glaring and wishing death upon us."

"You just wait for Maggie to get pregnant." Bella teased. "You'' be the same way."

Jared snickered but whole heartedly agreed. "So who's up for some cliff diving? Leah, you game to see if you can out jump the guys?" He goaded.

"I already proved a long time ago that I can Jared." She sniffed.

Tristan shook his head. "Go on baby. I'm going to lay here and talk with the girls, if that's alright."

"I'm sure they'd welcome the company. I'd stay, but Paul's out on patrol and dad is over at Sue and Charlie's house. It gives me free reign to clean!" Rachel grinned.

Bella shook her head in amusement. It hadn't been a shock to anyone other than Leah when Charlie asked Sue to marry him. They were engaged to be married in the coming year and Leah would well and truly be her step sister after that.

"Have fun cleaning. Remember, keep the doors open or you'll kill yourself with the fumes." Natalie teased.

The girls laughed. Paul's wolf nose couldn't handle the smell of bleach and Billy detested it as well. So the only time Rachel was able to clean the house properly was when she was alone in it. She always made sure all the windows were open and the big box fans were placed in the windows, but it was always clean by the time Paul and Billy came home. Jacob was just grateful that his sister had woken up and was stepping up to take care of their dad the way he had been doing since he was a young teen.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll see you girls later. Bella, remember, no stress!" She warned.

Bella chuckled. "Alright. Alright. So what do you girls want to do?" She asked when the pack started to slowly walk away. Leah was in the process of kissing Tristan goodbye, much to the amusement of some of the boys who were giving them wolf whistles and cat calls.

Emily sighed. "I'm going to go back to the house and start on the laundry I was supposed to do this morning." She said with a disdainful frown crossing her lips.

Kim shook her head. "I'll help, Emily. Two people are faster than one alone."

"I'd love that. Thank you." Emily said with a smile.

Leah hugged Emily and told her she'd be over later. They talked once a week over the web, but it wasn't like seeing each other in person. Emily promised to have the house cleaned and a hot plate of food waiting. Kim grinned and promised she'd help Emily, so they'd have more time to catch up later on. Leah only grinned at the two and watched them walking off.

"I can't believe you're pregnant! How did that one happen? I thought you were always Mrs. Careful." Leah teased.

"Ah… yeah… um… I don't like needles. And uh… Jake's wolf can be really persistent." Bella said with a small grin.

Tristan snickered but refused to comment. He turned to Maggie, Claire and Natalie and engaged them in quiet conversation when Leah finally jogged off after Embry and Quil. Nicole, Angela and Bella watched the pack in the distance, each of them with smiles on their faces. They never noticed when Tristan, Maggie, Claire and Natalie stilled. They were lost in their thoughts until they heard a throat being cleared to their left.

"I should have known you'd be here today." Bella muttered.

In front of her stood three girls she would have gladly gone the rest of her life without seeing. Lauren, Jessica and Amy had seen her and were looking down their noses at the girls while Mike, and Tyler stood awkwardly behind them. Lauren was the first to act, her eyes lighting up when she saw Tristan.

"Hello Bella. It's funny, running into you on the beach. You've been making yourself scarce in town." She all but purred.

Bella shrugged and stood with a small bit of help from Angela. "Oh I've been around. I live here with my boyfriend now. Or hadn't you heard? Jacob Black finished school a year early. We moved in together last year." she smirked when Lauren realized Bella had stood to put herself on even ground so to speak.

Laurens eyes flashed dangerously. "I hadn't heard that at all. I do have to say, it doesn't surprise me. I mean, we all wondered. But none of us heard that you had left for school, so we just guessed you were spending all your time here." She said primly.

Bella smirked. "I've been taking my courses online since a month after graduation. My friends and I are going to be opening a bistro on the outskirts of the reservation, between here and Forks. You should come by when it's open. I'm sure we can… accommodate you and yours. You'd have to find something more… appropriate, but that should be easy for girls like you."

"Just what is THAT supposed to mean?!" Jessica hissed from beside her.

Natalie, Maggie and Claire all snickered. They all knew that Bella had a 'no shoes, no shirt, no business' policy. With the way the girls in front of them were dressed, it was a wonder no one said anything before about their less than tasteful choice of attire.

Angela arched an eyebrow. "Temper, temper. Mike… how are you?" She asked with a smile on her face. "Seeing anyone new lately?"

"If you MUST know, we've gotten back together, I'll thank you to try and remember." Jessica snapped.

Nicole arched an eyebrow. "Hit a raw nerve did she?" She muttered causing Natalie and Claire to giggle.

Maggie turned towards Amy, vaguely remembering seeing the girl draped all over Seth at one point in the previous year. She looked to Bella with questioning eyes and rolled them when Bella nodded. So this was Seth's ex. She suppressed a shudder and shook her head. WHAT had he seen in her?

"So who's this then? We've not seen you around here before. I'd know." Amy purred while letting her eyes freely roam over Tristan.

Maggie glared and stood in front of Leah's boyfriend with her arms crossed, the same as Claire and Natalie. She may have been tiny, but she had a temper to rival Leah's at times. "This is Leah's boyfriend. I'm sure you'll remember her."

Amy paled slightly. "Leah's back?"

"And walking this way." Bella said with a raised eyebrow. She smirked when Claire waved her phone subtly towards her. The smart girl had sent a text to Brady. He always kept his phone zipped up in his pocket.

"Well… it was nice seeing you again Bella. But I think it's time we left." Amy said swallowing thickly.

Lauren and Jessica only arched their eyebrows. "And why should we leave?" Lauren asked snootily.

"Because if we don't go, we'll have our asses handed to us. And I for one do NOT want to deal with Leah… again." Amy huffed.

Jessica glared. "Well, I for one was enjoying the shade in this spot. I think I'll stay." She pouted.

It was loud enough that Leah smirked when she heard it. A hand on her shoulder quelled the she wolf in her easily. Jacob's eyes were set on Mike and Tyler- the two biggest threats to his mate at the moment. Leah huffed and pouted. Jacob didn't have to say anything to make it well known that he didn't want her to fight. But that was fine, Leah just had to remind Amy of what had happened last time she had messed with the pack- even if she didn't know she had stirred the proverbial hornets' nest.

"Amy… how nice to see you." Leah's grin was almost wicked when she reached the small group.

Amy eyed the girl warily. "We were just saying hi to Bella. It's been a while since we've last seen her."

"I'm sure there's a reason for that." Leah said with an arched eyebrow while she stared from Amy, to Jessica to Lauren. She smirked when they started dancing from foot to foot.

Maggie grinned when Seth wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her temple. The spark of jealousy in Amy's eyes wasn't missed by her. It made her snicker quietly. Only the wolves heard it, though Leah had seen it.

"You know Amy, I think you need a reminder of what happens when I feel that my friends and family are being messed with. Perhaps another walk in the woods is in order, hm?" Leah asked while looking at her nails.

The pack all turned to Leah and Jacob's eyes in particular were rather sharp and accusing. Leah merely shrugged. She hadn't blown their secret, and even if she had, she was confident that no one would believe her.

Amy paled. She had told Lauren and Jessica about it. The three shivered at the memory. "No… no we were just leaving. Come on guys. Let's go a little further down."

Leah smirked when she watched them walk away. Amy was explaining to Mike and Tyler how Leah had asked Amy to take a walk with her through the trails to second beach. In the dimming light, just before they had gotten to the beach, Leah had rounded on the unsuspecting girl and rammed her fist into the tree closest to her head. It wouldn't have been so bad if Leah hadn't told her the next time she badmouthed her friends or family again and she found out about it, she'd feed the girl to the wolves on the reservation in pieces and her body would never be found.

Jacob only shook his head. Sometimes he wondered how bad Leah would have been if Bella had listened to Sam and waited to try and reach out to her all those months ago. There was no denying the woman had a sadistic streak to her. He was only thankful the pack knew she wasn't like that unless provoked.

Bella sighed and rubbed her stomach. Stress was not something she needed. Jacob was by herself in a matter of moments. He was waved off as Bella smiled and batted his hands away.

"Come on guys. Lets go watch a movie at the house. I'll call Rachel, Emily and Kim when we get home. All the excitement has me hungry." Bella huffed.

The wolves all smirked. "Sucks to be us doesn't it Bells." Quil chirped.

Bella shrugged. "I don't know. Personally… I think I love the heat."

Whoops of joy chased that sentence and Jacob could only smirk. They teased one another as they walked back towards Jacob's house- now the place where the pack came to spend time together if not near their own families or on patrol.

"I still can't believe you did that, Leah." Nicole piped up as they walked. "I mean, you could have been called out by her instead of scaring her."

Leah shrugged. "Let's see… bottle blonde with a silver spoon in her mouth who's still in high school… or the prim and proper, well mannered daughter of a reservation elder who was going away to college and at home studying… I took my chances." She said with a grin.

Bella rolled her eyes. "That sounds like you."

"What? She messed with not only my kid brother, but my alpha's female as well AND my pack sister. There was no WAY I was going to let it slide." She huffed.

Tristan pulled her to his side, soothing the growing anger from her. "While it could have been handled with less… violence, I think it was also cleverly executed." He said with a grin.

"See… Tristan gets it!" Leah crowed.

Bella turned and hugged her. "We get it too. We just like to tease you. You've been gone for ages now! And we missed you! This is our way to let you know that."

Leah smiled. "I know. I missed you all too. Even the pups, surprisingly." She gasped when they reached the front yard of Bella's house.

"What? What's wrong?" Angela asked from behind her.

Bella, it seemed, had quite the green thumb- much like Emily. It was like walking into a scene from The Secret Garden. There were flowers everywhere, all blended together to create a tasteful blend of color that seemed to make the house come alive in welcome. Leah grinned. This garden put all others on the reservation to shame.

"How long have you been at this, Bella, this is amazing!" Leah complimented.

Bella shrugged. "The pack all helped build it. The girls and I need something to do to vent our frustration, so we plant flowers."

Leah smiled at that. "Somehow I can see you doing something like that." She teased.

"She was abusing a punching bag in the garage. But now that she's starting to show, she doesn't want the bag to swing and catch her in the stomach." Jacob grinned.

Bella huffed and rolled her eyes before sauntering past him. "I seem to recall that being YOUR fear, not mine." She shot over her shoulder before disappearing into the house.

Jacob's wolf stirred. Their mate was being playful. "Ehh, you may be right." He said with a shrug.

The girls went with Bella into the kitchen, leaving the pack to watch whatever game was on the sports channel in the living room. Jacob grinned and looked around his living room. He thought back to all the ups and downs along the way to this point and he tilted his head back in silent thanks that Taha Aki and the spirits had listened to his prayers. This was his life. This was where he was meant to be.


	17. Epilogue

Disclaimer:  
All characters and known situations belong to their respective owners. Everything else came from my own mind- scary place that it is sometimes. In no way shape or form have I made or intended to make a profit from this story…. All rights still belong to Stephanie… though it's a shame she never did anything more with the wolves… ah well.. There's always fan fiction  
Authors Notes:  
Hey you guys, this is the end. There were a few chapters through this along the way that I honestly thought were really weak, but I hope I did an overall decent job of it. Fanfiction isn't my strongest suit since the characters have already been made . I have my originals that I would much rather toy with lol.

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Epilogue

Bella hummed and made her way out to her back yard with a tray of lemonade and a batch of sugar cookies. She grinned when bodies started swarming around the table. They were setting up for her daughter's 14th birthday party while Jacob took her to the mall to pick up a new outfit or two. It was a tradition that had been put in place by the two of them ever since she was two years old. A little boy with bright grey eyes and a head full of black hair made his way in front of everyone else to stand right next to her.  
"Hey Asher. When did you get here?" Bella asked him sweetly.

Asher grinned and hugged Bella before reaching up to take one of the offered cookies. "Mom just dropped me off out back. She said she had to go kill dad really quick. Uncle Seth is here though too!"

Bella ruffled his hair and turned toward the man in question. He was currently playing referee to his 13 year old twins, Harper and Harry. She shook her head and made her way over to them. Placing her hands on her hips, she cleared her throat. When that didn't work she sighed and shook her head at the ever quarrelling siblings.

"Harper Lynn and Harry Joseph! WHAT is going on?!" Bella had to hide her grin when Maggie marched over to them. The two were scared of their mother when she was angry.

"Harper told Caleb, Connor and Bentley that I liked Savannah!" Harry whined.

Harper grinned smugly. "Because you do! Why else would you always hang around her and try to be as close to her as you can?!"

Harry pulled a face. "I do NOT!" He huffed, his temper flaring again.

"Ok, ok, come on kids. Harry, why don't you go find Caleb, Connor and Bentley? I think I saw them take off inside to play a video game." Bella said breaking up yet another fight. "Harper, Savannah and Hailey are down by the pond. I told them I'd send you down there when you got here." She said.

"Thanks aunt Bella!" Harper grinned and dashed off in between the pack and their kids. She was the spitting image of her mother while Harry looked like a younger version of Seth. Bella was a proud aunt.

Seth sighed, his shoulders sagging. "Why must they always fight like that?!" He whined.

"Because they're siblings." Maggie told him sweetly.

"Yeah, but I was never that bad with Leah!" He huffed.

It was Bella's turn to smile. "They're twins they're going to fight." She shrugged.

"Your boys don't. Paul's twins don't. Hell, even Collin's boys are well behaved!" He huffed.

Maggie and Bella grinned. "They're twins." It was the only explanation he was going to get. He rolled his eyes when they walked off and went off himself to greet the pack.

He passed by Brianna and Levi with their hands laced together sitting on a bench swing hanging from one of the trees near the edge of the yard and shook his head. Somehow he'd seen that one coming from a mile away. He still teased Sam and Paul about it. They had been floored when it was announced that Levi wanted to start dating Brianna.

Levi Lahote had his mother's temper and Paul's boyish charm. It had roped in sweet little Brianna Uley as soon as she was old enough to show interest in the opposite sex at age 13. Now a year later, she had Levi chasing after her and her alone- even if he was a year older than she was.

"Hey Sam. Guys." Seth greeted. He nodded to Jared and Embry as well.

Sam grinned. "Hey Seth. Where are the twins?"

"Ugh! Don't get me started. They're already fighting, and it's only 11 in the morning!" He huffed.

His friends merely laughed. "That's your kids for you. I think they got Maggie's fighting spirit. Remember that one girl in the mall when you guys were like… 22 or something?" Jared teased.

They were interrupted by a loud splash of the pond followed by boys laughter and girls screams. They turned to watch as Hailey Call, Harper and Savannah Cameron raced up the grassy mound away from the pond. It was enough that the adults were quietly chuckling when they saw the girls' drenched clothes.

"Oh here we go." Sam muttered.

Embry sighed and looked out at the yard. Bella and Jacob had worked hard over the last 17 years to turn their little corner of the reservation into a small piece of paradise. It may not have been sunny all the time, but Bella had simply worked around that and bought flowers that loved the wet and rainy climate. Instead of clearing the large old trees outright, Bella had cleared around a great number of them, only adding to the beauty of it.

Seth only groaned when he saw the boys scampering off. Jared and Embry shook their heads with Seth at their daughters' outrage. It was quelled quickly when they stomped over to them. "Hey princess, what's wrong?" Jared cooed to Savannah.

Her eyes flashed dangerously, reminding him so much of her mother it was uncanny. "Caleb and Ryan is what's wrong!" She screeched.

Embry bit back the laughter that threatened to rise. "What'd they do Hailey bear?" He asked his own daughter. She and her sister both were his pride and joy.

"It wasn't just them daddy! It was Quil too!" She whined.

Seth rolled his eyes. "I should have known." He chuckled. He found his friends trying to hold back their snickers of amusement too. Seeing their daughters' looking so much like their wives was too adorable for them to not laugh at.

Harper narrowed her eyes at him with her arms crossed over her chest. "It's NOT funny! They found the biggest rock they could and landed it as close to us as they could! We're SOAKED and its NOT funny!" She stomped her foot for emphasis before she and the other two were dragged off by Paul's daughter, Gracilynn and Sam's oldest, Makenzii.

"All I can say is thank god I don't have any boys." Embry said with a small chuckle. Sam nodded in agreement.

Jared grinned. "I don't know. Liam is a great kid. When he's not talking about Makenzii at least." He teased.

Sam rolled his eyes. "I put the fear of god into Levi, I can do it to Liam too." He said gruffly. The entire pack knew that Sam was a pushover when it came to his women.

"Don't go too hard on my son. Kim'll have your hide for messing with her baby boy." Jared teased with a roll of his eyes.

Embry and Sam snickered. "It's a wonder he didn't turn out to be more soft spoken. She's babied him since he was a newborn." Sam teased.

"Maggie does that with Harry. It drives me nuts sometimes." Seth nodded in agreement.

"See! At least someone gets it. They're boys! They're going to fall down and get hurt! Liam was in a cast by the time he was 5 for trying to fly off of the roof. I don't think I've ever seen Kim more panicked." Jared said with a chuckle.

Bella walked up to them then, having made the rounds to see all her friends. She hugged them all and then turned to Embry, Jared and Seth. They all shifted from foot to foot like scolded kids when she leveled her mommy stare on them. "You three are going to be in SO much trouble. Your wives just heard about what you did… or didn't do as the case may be." She finally teased.

"Come on Bells. That's not cool!" Embry whined not making direct contact with her. "There was nothing to be done! They were already soaked, its not like we encouraged the boys to mess with them!" He huffed defensively.

"No, what's NOT cool is laughing at your little girl. The boys have already been talked to. I was sent to talk to you three because apparently you don't listen to your wives. Sheesh. You know it's bad when I have to get involved. What's to be done with you three?" She huffed playfully.

Sam laughed. "Are the girls alright?" He asked after a few minutes.

"Yeah, I let them borrow some of Sarabeth's clothes. She's gonna be back soon by the way. Could you three help Collin and Brady try to keep the boys in line until then? I need to go find Quil and ask him the same thing. Oh and…Embry, Angela said she wants you to talk to talk to VI. She saw him and Hailey with their heads pretty close together when they thought no one was watching."

Embry huffed, his eyes flashing dangerously. Hailey was his baby. She was too young to be dating anyone! Bella rolled her eyes at the display. "Save it for Quil's son. Mine have already been talked to… by you and Quil."

Sam grinned. "You'll be related to them before you know it Bella." Jared couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Oh please. I'm already related to Seth and Leah. The last thing I need is MORE family in the pack." She said dramatically before they all shared a laugh.

"Would it be so bad?" Embry asked.

Bella grinned and looked at her back yard, overfilled with pack and their family. "Nope." She grinned. "Not at all."

"There you are!" Natalie grinned and moved to hug Bella. Her youngest son, Landon was by her side and looking around for a place to sit quietly.

"I'm here." Bella grinned. "Hi Landon." She said crouching down to offer him a hug. She smiled sweetly when he gave her a flower instead and only nodded his head.

"How's he doing?" Seth asked quietly.

Natalie smiled. "His doctor said he's getting better. The puppy we bought is almost done being trained." She told them. "We'll have him by the end of the week. Landon and Collin are going back tonight for the final training session before we can take him home."

Bella smiled. "Do you like your dog, Landon?"

Landon nodded but didn't say anything. He buried his face into Natalie's jean covered leg and whined slightly. Bella smiled and gave him an understanding nod. "We'll get you there sweetheart."

Sam smiled. He, like the rest of the pack had rallied around Natalie and Collin when they learned that Landon had autism. He had learned about service dogs helping children with autism from a customer in Jacob's garage, Wolf Boys Auto and Repair. It had been expensive, but they had allowed Landon to choose a gorgeous Samoyed to be trained for a companion.

"Hey, Landon, do you want to go find Alexia? I think she and Asher are watching a movie in the den." Jared asked him gently. He smiled when Landon nodded shyly. He didn't take Jared's hand, but he grabbed onto the leg of his jeans. It was progress. Sam grinned and walked off with him leaving Embry, Seth, Bella and Natalie to talk.

"Between the photography studio, Landon and the boys… I'm honestly surprised I don't have a head full of grey hair yet." Natalie mused.

"Collin would still see you as the most beautiful woman alive. Same as any of us." He grinned.

"You're just kissing up to me so I'll give Maggie a good report." Natalie teased.

"Hey it's worth a shot! You see her more than I do in the day." Seth grinned.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Only because she works with her."

"And you see my husband on a regular basis too. That doesn't mean I suck up to you so he'll remember to do nice things for me." Natalie quipped.

They all shared a laugh at that before heading back over to where the majority of the people were gathered. Leah had finally made her presence known and was giving her nephew a stern talking to about how to treat his sister a little nicer. She then moved on to Natalie's twins. Everyone knew from the looks on their faces that they wouldn't dare toe the line anymore tonight. Their auntie Leah was a scary woman when she chose to be.

"Hey mom!" Bella smiled and turned to see her eldest walking over to her, his hand clasping Cheyenne Call's hand gently.

"Hi sweetie. Hi Cheyenne." Bella grinned and hugged the girl briefly.

Cheyenne smiled. "Hi Mrs. Black. Hi daddy." She grinned and hugged Embry tightly before stepping away."

"Hey princess. We thought you two weren't going to show up." He teased.

Cheyenne rolled her eyes. "Sorry we're late. Mr. Kersey gave us a killer English essay to start writing. Aiden refused to write his. He said he'd do it next week, so I made him do at least half of it."

Cheyenne may have only been 16, but early on she had shown that she had inherited her mother's smarts. She was bumped up a grade and would be graduating with Aiden at the end of the year. Even though she was a bookworm like Angela, she had a tendency to be extremely crafty and sneaky like her dad- something that made Embry swell with pride.

Bella grinned. "That's a good girl." She crooned. "At least I know my son is taken care of." She teased causing Aiden to blush and roll his eyes.

"That's so not cool mom!" Aiden whined.

She only chuckled. "Do you know where your brother is? Or better yet, have you seen him at all today?" Bella asked.

"He's probably with Ashleigh. The last time I saw them they were in the tree house to get away from the little br- kids." He changed what he was going to say quickly when he saw his mother's eyebrow raise. She may have been shorter than he was now, but she was no less scary.

"Alright. Go on you two. And stay out of trouble!" She huffed before stalking off to the tree house to track down her sneaky child.

Embry chuckled. "You want some help?"

"No… if he's doing what I think he's doing, it'll be embarrassing enough with me calling him out on it. He doesn't need any of his uncles to see it. And Ashleigh will also be almost as embarrassed."

"Are you kidding? Quil's daughter? Embarrassed? Not likely." Embry crowed.

Natalie shook her head and went off in search of her husband and her kids. Embry chuckled and walked over to where Angela and Kim were talking with Rachel and Emily. He mentally chuckled and sat back to wait for the show. It was sure to be good.

The closer she got, the more her eyes narrowed. The noises coming from the tree house were nothing less than incriminating. She closed her eyes and wished not for the first time that she had let Jacob stay to get Sarabeth's birthday party organized while she took her out shopping. There were certain things a mother just did not want to deal with, hearing her child have sex… well that was high on the list.

"Anthony William Black! You get your rear end down here NOW!" She huffed. "You too Ashleigh Ateara." She said sternly.

"Oh shit! How the hell did she find us THIS time?!" Anthony hissed.

"It was probably your brother Tony! I TOLD you not to piss him off!" Ashleigh snapped.

"He's gonna GET it!"

Bella shook her head and rolled her eyes. It was all too easy to get those two to incriminate themselves. She took a deep breath and waited while they both climbed down the fraying rope ladder. She made a mental reminder to tell Jacob to replace it. It was one of the most well loved attractions for the kids when they visited.

"Hi mom." Anthony smiled sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. He reminded Bella so much of Jacob when he did that.

"Do you two want to tell me something?" Bella asked with a raised eyebrow as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Um….We uh…." Ashleigh gave up and hid partially behind her boyfriend, her hand gripping his tightly. Bella was a scary woman when she chose to be.

Anthony sighed. "I'm not going to lie to you. You'd lay into me and then dad would later. All I can say is we're sorry it was somewhere so open."

Bella smirked inwardly. It was almost too easy. She kept up an aggravated front and pointed towards the house. "I'll accept that. Go on. And Ashleigh… you might want to go freshen up." She warned cryptically.

Ashleigh paled and nodded. The last thing she needed was to be around her dad right now. The kids had all grown up with the knowledge of the pack. Their dads were all wolves and their moms were all married to them. It never bothered them in the slightest.

"Thanks… o-of course Mrs. Black." She placed a kiss to Anthony's cheek and hurried off into the house. Anthony was quick to follow. They wouldn't dare try anything that close to the pack again- not for a while at least.

Bella sighed. This was her life. She was and always would be part of the pack and therefore was always surrounded by friends and family. The kids all listened to her and all loved her dearly. She was a godmother, an auntie, an aunt and a mom. She turned her head to the sky and smiled.

It had taken three years after they finished school for their bistro to be opened. The Pack's Place was now a favorite spot for teenagers to go to after school as well as one of the best places to buy coffee in the entire area of Forks and La Push. It was still run by Bella, Kim and Emily, though Makenzii and Liam worked there as well on the weekends and during school holidays.

Angela, Nicole and Rachel had gone a different route. They had opened up The Wolves Den childcare center on the reservation. The intake of kids had been small to start, but over time, it had grown no thanks to the amazing reputations of the girls who ran it.

Behind all of them taking pictures for advertisements or as wall art, were Maggie and Natalie. They pooled their money together to open a modest studio on the border of La Push and Forks. A Wolf's Eye View made an amazing profit within it's first year of being open. The girls were nothing if not professional at work. They loved what they did, and it showed.

So too did Seth, Collin and Brady. They realized too, that their skills could turn profit and so created a website to start selling small pieces of carvings. When the demand for larger pieces was made known, Seth broke down and created a shop from the money he had saved. 'Carved with Care' seemed to be a friendly enough catchphrase, because each of their pieces was unique. No two were alike.

Jacob opened his own garage and hired the pack to help him with it. Wolf Boys Auto and Repair was now more successful than the garage in Forks had ever dreamed of being. Sam, Paul and Jacob were well known to be steady with their hands and each of them had a keen eye and ear for catching minor issues before they became big problems. Jacob never overcharged, and they always had a smile on their faces for whoever walked through the door.

Jared worked out of the garage as well. He upgraded and replaced sound systems, earning him a reputation as an amazing electrician. Embry helped him sometimes, but he mainly worked the books for the shop as well as being an office manager. Quil, on the other hand, was known for his amazing car art- as Embry sometimes called it. He took his skills in art and design and transferred it to car paint and body work in Jacob's garage.

All in all it had been successful for them. She was pulled from her thoughts by the arrival of Claire. She had just gotten home from a book signing in Seattle. The girls all swarmed around her to offer her hugs before she was swooped into Brady's arms. Her books were among some of the national best sellers now, even if she used a pseudonym instead of her own name. Accalia was definitely in popular demand. It was always nice, however, when Claire was home. Her laid back personality had been adopted by her daughter, Alexia- for which they were all happy.

Leah and Tristan had come home as well. Though, it was to two years of hardship, trying to open Leah's private practice. Tristan got his wish, working with troubled kids from the reservation and surprisingly, Forks and sometimes Port Angelas. Asher was their miracle son, and Tristan couldn't be more fond of the boy. Leah suffered through two nearly full term miscarriages before Asher was placed in her loving arms. Bella had dropped to her knees when she saw her nephew and cried. She thanked the spirits for allowing Leah to become a mother- she was amazing.

Jacob's arms wrapped around her waist then, startling her from her memories. He smiled and kissed the mark on her neck, a husky chuckle coming from his lips. His love for her had never faded, even when she complained that the twins gave her grey hair, or that she wasn't as slim as she was as a teenager. He never saw that. He simply saw his amazing mate.

"Hello gorgeous." Jacob whispered.

Bella smiled and turned to place a kiss to his lips. "Hey. How'd shopping go?"

"We have a problem." Jacob huffed.

Bella giggled. "We do?"

"Uh huh. Sarabeth is growing up too fast!" Jacob grizzled. "She had teenagers panting after her the same way I did with you!"

Bella's laugh erupted from her throat causing the pack to shuffle closer out of curiosity. "She's supposed to be growing up, Jake. It's what kids do." She said sweetly.

"Not my little girl!" He huffed.

She smiled. "Jake, I'm sure most of your brothers feel the same way. But it's a fact of life. I dare someone to try and hurt her or break her heart. She'd have not only you and her OWN brothers to defend her, but she'd have her uncles and THEIR boys too. Think about it. She may grow up, but the girl is smart. She'll be fine."

Jacob sighed. He turned to meet the eyes of each of his pack mates. Their subtle nods let him know what Bella said was true. Their kids, all of them, were the most precious thing any of them had ever had. They'd fight to their last breath to defend them- all of them. Before he could say anything else a high pitched squeal echoed through the back yard. He turned in time to see his daughter being thrown into the pond by her brothers. He cringed knowing that even though it was almost June, the water was still a little on the chilly side.

Bella sighed. This was the life she had chosen. This was her natural path. Jacob had been right. It was simply put, as easy as breathing. She loved her family, her friends, her pack. She never had to change who she had chosen to be and she was thankful for that. With a smile and laughter in her eyes, she made a vow to thank the spirits who had opened her eyes and allowed her to tell Alice Cullen no when she had been so determined to see her say yes.


End file.
